Last Chance
by aDistantYume
Summary: Individually, they fell to a tragic fate. With broken memories, they start at the beginning yet again. Somehow, Minato and Minako have come to exist in the same world. They set off on their journey down a familiar path. Can they save both themselves and the ones they hold dear?
1. Chapter 00: The Third

**Last Chance**

**Chapter 00: The Third**

The first came as a young male. At first indifferent to all, he led others to challenge the impossible and created nothing short of a miracle.

His victory was short-lived. His reward was a power to use in an eternal struggle to protect all those he held dear.

The second came as a young female. With an optimistic and cheerful outlook, she led others out of the shadows as a beacon of hope.

Her end was nothing short of tragic. The tears her friends shed pushed her to hold back the never ending threat.

* * *

Igor stared forward into the empty space in front of him. The Velvet Room was quiet as he contemplated the situation alone. Despite having always given the impression of knowing all to his guests, this was certainly a surprise he was not prepared for. He had seen potential in the first, and the path the first had followed was as expected, and Igor did not expect much more than that. However, his assistant's endeavors to save the poor soul had disrupted the clear vision he had. Time had somehow repeated itself, and yet the details changed before his eyes. The second came before him and showed him just as much potential as the first. Seeing yet another bearer of the Wild Card intrigued him to no end for the reason that all that could even remotely surprise him involved the Wild Card. Even though the details had changed and the bonds were altered, the end result was the same, and yet another Wild Card bearer had fallen to a tragic fate.

But it did not stop there.

Igor watched as the world return to the beginning once again. The same year wished to play out a third time, and even he wasn't sure what would change, if anything, this time around. Did the world wish to continue feeding these pitiful souls to the same fate over and over again? It would have been horribly depressing to see it all had he not been as collected as he always was.

This time, however, Igor could sense a much more drastic change in the world.

It was at that moment that he raised his head as if he had heard something in the otherwise silent Velvet Room. A smile crept onto the bizarre old man's face, and his bulging, bloodshot eyes seemed to glint with just the slightest bit of excitement. While there was still no one else there, he motioned his hand as if welcoming someone into the room.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor, I am delighted to make your acquaintances. I do believe I have never seen a case like this before. The bearers of the Wild Card have all been intriguing to watch as they come before me one by one. But...this time, not only do we meet again after our contract has ended, you will no longer show yourself one at a time? Perhaps that is best, as we all know you will need all the help you can get for the difficult road ahead."

Igor let out a low chuckle as the smile on his face grew even wider with an almost sickening interest.

"Now, let me draw up the contracts for the both of you again. And remember..."

There was an almost painful pause as Igor's piercing gaze continued to stare forward at nothing.

"Assume responsibility for the choices you make...but I am sure you know by now. I look forward to what you have in store this time around. I am sure it will be quite the spectacle."

As if on cue, the Velvet Room door opened.

"'Til we meet again..."

* * *

.::|| I recently got Persona 3 Portable and was motivated to try and create a story for this great game. I played the original Persona 3, so I gladly welcomed the female main character addition because it added a different perspective. I spent a lot of time writing this because I wasn't sure how I wanted their memories to work. I hope that my writing doesn't have too many problems in it, haha. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this opening prologue, or Chapter 00 as I called it. The first chapter will probably be out soon, but after that I need to start planning even more how I will fit the events on particular dates into the story so it doesn't seem like a complete mess.


	2. Chapter 01: Awaken

**Chapter 01: Awaken**

The vibrations of the passenger car was almost soothing to those riding it at that time of night. It was already approaching midnight, so the ones riding were mostly older men and women returning from work or other business. Only two stood out from the passengers, and they rode in the same passenger car.

"Mmn..." The young female grumbled a bit as her eyes fluttered open. Rubbing her eyes a bit, she yawned quietly before looking around, having just woken up from her small nap on the long ride to Iwatodai. Her clip-on earphones were still playing music as they hung there from her neck along with the MP3 player. Putting on her earphones, she stood up and brushed off her skirt before raising her arms to stretch a bit, expecting to arrive soon at the station.

Down the same passenger car, a young male was listening to music with the same pair of earphones and MP3 player. The volume was low enough that he could hear the following announcement as he raised his head.

"Due to a malfunction in the switching system, today's rail schedule has been greatly altered."

The young male sighed. He expected as much, but he honestly didn't care too much anymore when it was already this late. He was supposed to have gotten there by that day: the 6th of April, 2009. If anything, he hoped they didn't toss out his belongings when he had them sent there early.

"We apologize to any customers who were in a hurry. The next stop is Iwatodai..."

Standing up from his seat, the teenager moved to the closest doors as he slipped his right hand into his pocket while his left hand moved to change songs. Looking outside the window of the doors, a rather bright blue butterfly came fluttering by. Despite it flying the opposite direction the train was going, it seemed to go at its own pace by the window. Blinking, his blue hues followed it to the left of him, and his left hand unintentionally raised toward it as it seemed to disappear before reaching the next window.

Her bright red hues had somehow found themselves looking into a pair of cool blue eyes after following that odd butterfly that had flown to the right. Blinking rapidly, she realized she was staring at him before she snapped her attention back forward. Raising a hand, she held her hand over her earphones as if pretending she hadn't done something so awkward. Sighing, the young female wondered what that butterfly was. She had never seen anything like a bright, glowing butterfly like that. She could only imagine how cool it would be to have caught it in a jar and use it as a light. Something similar to fireflies!

Raising a brow, the blue-haired boy looked on to the girl with auburn hair tied up in a high ponytail. He had only caught a glimpse of that girl looking at him before she seemed to pretend she hadn't. Almost comically. Shrugging it off, he looked forward again as the train slowed to a stop at the station. "Finally..." He muttered under his breath as he stepped off the train. Looking up at the station clock, he could see that it was basically midnight already. Were they even going to be awake when he arrived? Another exasperated sigh came out of him before he moved forward till he was at the station entrance.

Then the music stopped.

He tapped his earphones first before moving to look at his MP3 player, which seemed to be powered off and stayed that way despite his efforts. Pulling his earphones off, letting them hang from his neck, he raised his head to finally notice something was off. It was...unnaturally silent. The atmosphere felt heavy, and when he raised his eyes even further, his eyes found an eerily gigantic moon that gave off an abnormal light. His irritation from before disappeared as the desire to quickly get to the dorm he was assigned to rose in priority. Returning his hands to his pockets, he started toward the dorm at a non-leisurely pace.

Hands at her side, her bright red eyes were staring up at the gigantic moon. Had it been any other time, a gigantic greenish moon would have absolutely fascinated her. But something about the moon and the air around her made her feel as if she was unsafe. Swallowing nervously, her instincts told her to move. Ignoring the blue-haired guy she had awkwardly stared at earlier, she walked past him at a brisk pace. It didn't take long before she slowed down though. Her ignorance of that strange feeling only lasted until the next street when coffin-like objects came into view. They lined the sidewalks and crossroads, and she was certain she saw them in some of the windows of stores! The surprise had led her steps to slow before finally coming to a stop. It wasn't just the deathly feeling that came from the coffins, but the fact that there was no life to be seen or heard. The city seemed...deserted. It was then that the footsteps behind her came to her mind's focus, and she felt a shiver run down her spine before looking behind her slowly.

"Coffins?"

She almost winced at the sound that broke the silence, but it was also reassuring to see someone other than her moving. She didn't want to think that anything like vampires were moving around in those coffins, so she clung to the hope that there wasn't. The incident before didn't even come to mind now as she looked up at the blue-haired boy, "Y-Yeah, weird, huh? Maybe they're preparing for an event or something..."

"Then where are the people?" His blue eyes continued to look past the girl and look around for any kind of movement. Any kind of life.

"I'm not sure... Maybe they got done with their preparations and went off to have a...party?" Her voice was pretty unconvincing. She didn't even believe herself despite her attempts to think of some kind of excuse so it wasn't as freaky to her.

"Doubt it," he stated bluntly.

She narrowed her eyes a bit and turned around, "W-Whatever! I'll let you gawk at these coffins some more till you find the real reason then. I've got something to do, so excuse me!" Without another word, she walked off toward the dorm again. Even though the guy was fairly irritating to talk to, at least it lightened the mood enough that her legs didn't feel frozen in place. A sigh escaped her lips before she picked up her pace again, wanting to get to her new home so she wasn't always in the presence of that freaky moon.

He only stepped forward a bit as the auburn-haired girl walked off with those interesting eyes of hers. He had met people with red eyes before, but hers were oddly different. Such bright red eyes. The thought left as quickly as it came, as the coffins were giving off too weird of a vibe. Against his better judgment, he walked into the streets and approached one, but he didn't get too close. Looking it up and down, it certainly didn't look like a prop. Hell, it looked more real than the real thing.

"..."

Thinking of that unfortunately reminded him of the death of his parents. _No running into their arms in times like these..._ Smirking in a sad way, he turned away from the coffin and moved toward the same direction the girl had been going. Like before, he picked up his pace a bit to make sure he could get out of the freaky moon's vision as soon as possible.

"I should be getting close..." She spoke to herself to keep herself in check. Even her own footsteps was unfamiliar to her in this situation. Despite having walked at a brisk pace for a while, the bizarre feeling of that night got to her again and she slowed to a mere walking pace. Once she turned a corner, the tall dorm building came into view. Letting out a sigh of relief, she started toward it before hearing footsteps not aligned with hers. Another shiver went down her spine as she turned around, watching the corner as the quick footsteps grew louder.

Turning the corner, he almost jumped back when he found bright red eyes staring back at him. Coming to a stop, he instead tilted his head slightly, "Thought you had something to do?"

It was this guy again? Was he stalking her or something? _I wouldn't put it past him... He looks like the kind of guy that'd be into weird things..._ "I'd already be done if you wouldn't keep trying to sneak up on me like that..." Though she muttered her words, it was still loud enough for him to hear it. And she knew that. "I'm new to the city, okay? It took me a little while to get my bearings, but I found the dorm I'm staying at, so if you don't mind, I'm – "

"The Iwatodai dorm over there? I'm heading there too. We should probably get going," he said as he stepped around the red-eyed girl, "We wouldn't want to be too late, but I doubt anyone's awake at this time of night."

Spinning around, the auburn-haired girl caught up to him and walked beside him. "You live there too?" she asked with a bit of relief and irritation. It was nice and all that she had someone at the same dorm with her, but did it have to be this rude blue-headed one?

"Yeah. I'm new to the city too, although I didn't have any trouble finding my way here..."

"Oh, is that so?" Was he always trying to pick a fight? Swallowing her annoyance, she continued looking forward, "So you're going to Gekkoukan High School too then?"

"If staying at the Gekkoukan High School, Iwatodai dorm wasn't enough of a clue for you, then yes, I will be."

_He's definitely trying to pick a fight with me..._ "Ehh? That's...that's nice to hear! Maybe we'll be in the same class!" _Maybe you'll behave in front of your peers..._ "The two mysterious transfer students being assigned to the same class... Our class would be so much fun!"

"It's pretty bothersome being a transfer student. They always ask so many questions," he replied before stopping in front of the dorm and looking down at the girl.

"I guess you've also transferred a lot then? I'm kind of in the same boat, but it's always nice to meet new people, right?"

"We should go in." Without responding to her, he climbed the stairs. Opening the front doors, he entered the quiet dorm.

"It wouldn't hurt to at least pretend to be a nice guy..." Climbing the stairs after him, she entered the dorm as well before closing the door behind her. There were no lights on, but the room being lit up slightly by that eerie green light was enough for them to look around the first floor. "Um...what should we do? Try to find someone upstairs?"

"Hm..." He didn't budge. For some reason, he felt like he was waiting for something to happen. Anything, really, but he felt like he had a compelling reason to stay there. He just didn't know what the reason was. "I don't want to look like some creeper wandering around the empty halls knocking on people's doors. Let's take a look behind the front desk to see if we can find our names or room keys or something." Forcing himself to move, he walked over to the front desk and stopped when he spotted a single piece of paper with a pen resting across it.

_Too late on the creeper thing..._ "Are you sure? We might set off alarms if we do that..." Following him over, she couldn't help but look over her shoulder at where they were standing. For a moment, she was certain that she had felt a third person standing there, but she hadn't seen or heard anyone at all. Shaking that thought away, she stood next to the taller guy as she looked at the same paper he was, "What are you looking at?"

"Is this the form for a student dorm resident? It's...a weird one. Why would a form like that have two blank name spots?" he muttered his thoughts as his eyes stayed glued to the paper with very simple text on it.

「 I chooseth this fate of mine own free will. 」

"Maybe they made it just for us?" she suggested as she looked below the text to see two sets of lines for two different names.

"Do they expect us to trash the place? What's up with this condition..." he muttered as he picked up the pen and signed his name down on the first line. Sighing, he put the pen down and turned away from the desk, "Whatever. Maybe it's some practical joke for us transfer students by the others here."

"This isn't a very funny joke if it is one. Also..." She blinked as her red hues read his name over and over again. Turning to him, she seemed to look him over more intently than before.

"What are you staring at?"

"O-Oh, it's nothing. I was just surprised by your name is all. A really weird coincidence," she said as she picked up the pen and signed her own name right below his. Once her name had been written down, she had a strange feeling of deja vu. Did she sign very many forms or contracts like this? She was certain that this was her first, yet she couldn't explain that feeling of familiarity.

That strange tingling in his fingertips after he had signed his name was finally starting to disappear now. It was a damn strange night. "Coincidence?" While turning to her, the rest of his thoughts were cut off as another voice rang out.

"...Who's there?!"

Both of them turned to the female voice as she walked toward them.

"How can you be... But it's...! Don't tell me..."

The two newcomers could tell that her voice grew more aggressive, and then they noticed the object the light-brown haired girl was holding. It looked like a gun.

"Wait!" Another, different female voice came along with the appearance of a more mature looking girl with long, dark red hair.

Before anything more hectic happened, the lights magically turned on as if on cue.

"The lights..." The girl lowered her gun before looking at the two newcomers again.

"Come over and have a seat. We can talk there," the redhead said as she motioned for them to follow to the lounge.

"Alright." He was about to take a step forward before turning to grab the contract they signed, but it was nowhere to be found. Knowing that he shouldn't keep the redhead waiting, he turned and walked over to the lounge while speaking in a low voice to the auburn-haired girl next to him, "Where did you put the paper?"

"I was going to ask you that," she muttered as she sat down on the sofa after he did. She made sure there was some space between them.

Once everyone was seated, with the light-brown haired girl sitting in one of the armchairs, the redhead spoke, "I didn't think you two would arrive so late. My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm."

"...Who're they?" asked the gun-wielding girl.

"They're transfer students. It was a last minute decision to assign them here. They'll eventually be moved to their respectful dorms once everything is sorted out," Mitsuru replied.

"...Is it okay for them to be here?" The gun-wielding girl seemed to be very careful with her words as she looked at Mitsuru with concern.

"I guess we'll see," said Mitsuru, smiling as if she was planning something for the newcomers. Moving her attention to the two again with her dark red eyes, she continued while motioning to the girl who was speaking to her, "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you two."

"...Hi, I'm Yukari." It almost seemed like she was reluctant to introduce herself.

"Nice to meet you," said the auburn-haired girl, giving Yukari a smile and a nod.

"Uh, y-yeah. Nice to meet you, too – "

"Why do you have a gun?" the blue-haired boy asked bluntly.

"Huh?" Yukari gave a surprised and nervous look.

The auburn-haired girl turned to give rude guy a look, seeing how he didn't seem to change his attitude at all even for other students. _I was wondering too, you know, but something like that shouldn't be what you ask when you're introducing yourself!_ She reprimanded him in her thoughts.

"Um, well, it's sorta like a hobby... Well, not a hobby, but..." Yukari seemed to desperately try and find a suitable excuse.

"You know how it is these days... It's for self-defense. It's not a real gun, of course," Mitsuru answered for the nervous girl with a calmness that was impressive, "Anyways, it's getting late. You two should – "

"W-wait! You two haven't really introduced yourselves yet, right? I'm sure Mitsuru-senpai already knows your names, but..." Yukari interrupted Mitsuru to try and catch their names before they were hurried off to bed.

"Oh! Excuse me," the auburn-haired girl apologetically bowed slightly, "I'm Minako Arisato. Feel free to call me Minako!"

Widening his eyes, the blue-eyed boy turned to face Minako, which in turn resulted in her turning her bright red hues up to meet his. "'Arisato'...?"

"Ah, yes, you two both have the same surname, don't you? It was quite the coincidence pulling two transfer students like that from different places. If I'm not mistaken, you two aren't related?" Mitsuru asked.

"Coincidence, huh..." he muttered under his breath. Shaking his head slowly, he looked up at Mitsuru and Yukari again, "...No. I've never seen or heard about her before. Besides, I doubt I would be related to such a loud, annoying girl." Pausing for a moment, he glanced to his side to catch a glare before he continued, "I'm Minato Arisato. Don't confuse me with her." As strange as it was, it wasn't unheard of having the same surname while being unrelated.

"Yes, please don't confuse me with him! There's no way I could ever be related to someone so rude," added Minako, glaring at Minato.

"A-Ah, well, nice to meet you both. Minako, Minato," Yukari nodded to them both.

Mitsuru cleared her throat, "Well, now that all introductions are done, I suggest you two tuck in for the night. Your things should already be in your room."

"Oh... I'll show you the way. Follow me," Yukari said as she stood up and walked toward the stairs.

Mitsuru nodded to the two of them as they stood up and followed Yukari up the stairs. On the second floor, they walked down the hallway to the very last door, "This is your room, Minato. Pretty easy to remember, huh? So, any questions?"

"Does that boy live here?" Minako's words left her mouth before she had time to even think them over.

"What are you talking about? Him?" Yukari looked at Minato, "It seems like you two don't get along very well despite just meeting, but it's pretty weird referring to him as if he isn't right here with us."

"O-Oh, nevermind, please disregard what I just said," Minako stuttered, apologetically bowing slightly again before silencing herself, embarrassed that she had asked such a stupid and...out of nowhere question.

"Well, what about the contract?" Minato asked, hands in pockets as usual. Although he did find Minako's question strange, he had wondered about the same question if not for just a few moments.

"Huh? What's this about a contract?" Yukari certainly didn't seem like she knew what he was talking about.

"...nevermind," he sighed as he turned to the door but he was stopped by another question.

"Um... Can I ask you something? On your way here from the station, was everything okay?" Yukari asked in a rather evasive manner.

Minako just wanted to burst with all the things she had seen that night, but she only blinked as if she was confused. She was uncertain whether or not she could even describe it without sounding like a complete lunatic.

"This girl could barely find her way here from the station. I caught up to her despite leaving after her," Minato turned back to the two girls just for that comment, which resulted in him receiving yet another glare from the pair of red eyes.

"Hehe, is that all? Well then, I better show Minako to her room. I'm sure you've got other questions, but let's save them for later, okay? Good night," Yukari waved at Minato before moving toward the stairs again.

"Jerk," Minako stuck her tongue out at Minato before moving to follow Yukari.

"Heh..." Smirking, Minato entered his room and locked the door behind him. Although he didn't want to show it before, he was somehow absolutely exhausted. He got ready for bed quickly in his small room and fell asleep almost instantly when his head hit the pillow.

Minako followed Yukari to the end of the hallway on the third floor to find her room there in similar placement to Minato's. "Thanks, Yukari." She moved to her door before turning around to face her, "I'm sorry if I seemed like in a bad mood tonight. I only just met that guy tonight and he was already being rude to me without even introducing himself! I hope I didn't seem like I was unapproachable."

Yukari gave a small laugh before shaking her head, "It's okay. I can understand that kind of feeling when you're ticked off at someone. Don't worry about it, Minako. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Good night."

Giving Yukari a smile, Minako nodded and replied, "Thanks again. Good night." Entering her room as Yukari left, she looked around her small room. "At least it's bigger than my last room..." she murmured to herself as she got ready for bed. It was probably all the strange things she had seen that night, and that guy who kept trying to pick a fight with her, that had made her so tired. Why did he have to share her last name? She felt like she might be automatically grouped together with him because of that, and she wasn't sure if that would work out at all. Unless they wanted a fight to break out. Sighing, she jumped into bed and curled up under the sheets, easily letting her consciousness loose as she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

The world was white, as if everything was wiped clean. Footsteps echoed throughout the world as one figure moved forward endlessly with hands in his pockets. With no direction or goal, with no hope for anything else in sight, he moved without hesitation at his own pace. A small blue light fluttered past him on his left side, and it made him turn, his left hand compulsively reaching out to grab it.

He missed.

Her red eyes found a pair of blue ones looking back at her when she had turned for the light. The hand belonging to those blue eyes was outstretched as if he had also tried to reach for something. It was odd. She was certain no one had passed her when she was walking forward all this time. It was as if he had appeared out of nowhere just for the one moment she had turned back on her road.

Their gazes locked. A clock's ticking took the place of their footsteps.

* * *

.::|| Getting this one up took longer than I thought. I had most of this already written, but I decided to tweak it a bit. And then some more. It ended up being an entire overhaul, and now I feel like it's a mess. The perspective it takes isn't clearly defined with line breaks or anything, as I was trying to aim for a more chaotic perspective switch while their names were still 'unknown,' although I'm sure you all already knew. I felt a bit restricted by trying to follow the game's dialogue, as I don't want to veer too far away from the original dialogue when events are still aligned with my version. Of course, two major things are already different in my version, so I'm hoping it won't get too out of control as I work things out in the next few chapters. Anyways, I hope Chapter 01 isn't too bad of a read and that you enjoyed it. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 02: A Welcoming

**Chapter 02: A Welcoming**

Minato woke the next morning with the realization that life at his new school was starting that day. With a groan, he pushed himself out of bed and started preparing. As he was pulling on his Gekkoukan school uniform, there was a knock on his room door. Hearing Yukari's voice on the other side, he picked up his MP3 player and earphones before opening the door to find Yukari and Minako standing there ready for school. While Minako was in her school uniform, Yukari was dressed in her own fashion. "Morning."

"Good morning!" Yukari greeted cheerfully while Minako just waved. He wondered if the auburn girl was still ticked off at him from yesterday. "Mitsuru-senpai asked me to take you two to school. Are you ready?" she asked while looking up at him.

"Yeah, let's go," he responded in an sigh, showing little enthusiasm about starting up a new school again. Starting over again seemed like such a pain. Minato doubted he'd be staying there long anyways. He always seemed to have a knack of disappearing from schools after a year or two.

* * *

"Morning!" Yukari happily greeted people back as they passed her.

Minako walked with Yukari in between herself and the blue jerk, and she already felt admiration toward Yukari because of her popularity.

"Well, here we are... Welcome to Gekkoukan High! You're gonna love it here!"

Smiling, Minako's red eyes looked up at the huge school. It seemed so much...brighter and livelier than she had imagined. It was at least that much brighter and livelier than her old school in comparison. "I think so too!" agreed Minako before she turned to Minato, as if expecting a positive response from him. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed how even her energy couldn't faze the guy who always had his earphones on. Now that she looked at them, she noticed that he had the same exact MP3 player and earphones as she did. It kind of irritated her that they shared something similar like that when they were almost the exact opposite personality-wise. It didn't help that their names were already similar and would cause some trouble with their classmates. "A-Anyways, let's go in..."

Yukari and the two transfer students moved into the school while she continued to greet her friends. After stepping up from the shoe lockers, Yukari spun around and faced the two, "Well, you two should be fine from here, right? You two should find your homeroom teacher first. The Faculty Office is just over there to the left," she pointed over her shoulder, "and everything else should play out just fine for you two. Do you have any questions before I go?"

Minako looked up at the blue jerk to see him shaking his head before she followed suit. She gave a slight bow while smiling, "I think we'll be fine. Thanks for everything, Yukari!"

"No problem at all!" Yukari smiled back. As she was turning away, she paused before looking over her shoulder at them, "Hey... About last night... Don't tell anyone what you saw, okay? ...See ya later." She walked off on that note.

The way Yukari worded it made Minako's face redden before she nodded to reassure her. Her face quickly cooled down though as she realized it just her and...him. Peering up at him, she could see that he was still listening to music, although she assumed it was at a low enough volume for their voices to get through considering he responded to Yukari. Clearing her throat, she stepped forward and turned to face him, her schoolbag held with both hands in front of her, "So! We should probably go to the Faculty Office, huh? We can see if we were put in the same class or not! Or maybe find out that even Yukari is in the same class!" Despite everything he had said, Minako would try and not let his attitude problem bring her down to his level. She was confident she could stay as energetic as she was and make him see the error of his jerkish ways!

"Let's hope not. Not only do I not want to hear you yakking away all day, but I doubt the people in our class would ever let us get any rest from rumors. Transfer students with the same surname in the same classroom, and they had never met before? It's like a gold mine for gossip," Minato responded before he moved past the auburn girl while his hands were buried in his pockets, "Want me to hold your hand? I might feel responsible if I let you loose and you get lost on your first day of school."

Blinking as he moved past her, she could already tell that he was making it his job to get on her nerves. "No, thank you! I can find my own way there, thank you very much!" She turned and walked toward the same hallway, which she realized was more awkward than she thought because of what she said. Ending up walking next to him, Minako kept her eyes from looking up at him, "D-Don't think I'm tagging along with you because I want to. Yukari suggested for us to go to the Faculty Office to find our homeroom teacher, so that's what I intend to do. Unlike you, she's actually worth listening to!"

Listening to the girl next to him throw constant fits because of his poking fun was entertaining. While Minato did find the girl to be rather loud and too energetic for her own good, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed making fun of her and hearing her optimistic and happy mood turn into a tantrum. Once they were at the Faculty Office, Minato slid the door open and entered with the shorter girl following behind.

A woman with short, light brown hair noticed the two as they came in and waved them over to her desk. "You two are the new transfer students in the 11th grade, correct?" She pulled out two separate files from her pile of papers on her desk and opened them, revealing their picture ID and information. "Let's see here... Minato Arisato and Minako Arisato? Wow, that may be a little bit confusing for your classmates to remember, but I'm sure they'll think of some nicknames for you two. According to your files, you two aren't related?"

They shook their heads.

"What a coincidence to have the same surname then," the teacher continued on as Minato sighed, looking off to the side as he was getting tired of people showing surprise to their names. Just moving past that would have made him grateful. "Well, you both have lived in a lot of different places, haven't you? And what's this here? Ten years ago in...1999? Both of your parents..." She blinked as she read the next bit in both of their profiles before bowing her head slightly, "O-Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't have time to read this ahead of time, and...I apologize to the both of you."

Both of their parents? Minato looked down at the bright eyed girl who only returned his stare after realizing he was looking at her. He didn't say anything as his cool gaze rested on her bright hues. These thoughts and memories weren't something he enjoyed revisiting, but hearing that someone else's parents having the same fate in the same year like that... It almost gave him goosebumps.

"Wh-What're you looking at me for?" She clearly didn't hear the teacher correctly.

Sighing, Minato shook his head and looked forward back at the teacher.

"Anyways, I'm Ms. Toriumi, I teach Composition. Welcome to our school," the teacher introduced herself with a small smile.

"Nice to meet you!" Minako greeted the teacher with the same enthusiasm as always.

"Yeah, nice to meet you, Ma – " Widening his eyes, Minato shut his mouth before that word escaped his mouth. What was he just about to call her? Why did such a random name appear in his head just then? Nevertheless, calling his teacher anything other than Ms. Toriumi would most likely get him in trouble. "Uh...nice to meet you," he repeated, slightly dumbfounded at himself. _Maya...?_

Ms. Toriumi looked a bit concerned as she watched the blue-haired boy before shaking her head, "Have you two seen the classroom assignments? You both are in 2-F; that's my class. But first, we need to go to the auditorium. The Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon." Standing up, she moved past the two students, "Follow me." Minako gave a weird look at the blue jerk before following the teacher. While still unsure what that nostalgic feeling was, Minato moved to catch up to the two.

* * *

As the Principal's speech droned on and on, Minato slouched in his seat next to Minako as the whispers grew around them.

"_I heard we didn't get just one, but two transfer students!"_

"_Heh, yeah. I saw them both walking to school with Yukari this morning. The new girl's cute."_

"_The other one's a guy, right? That lucky bastard getting to walk with Yukari..."_

Minato pulled his earphones off as he looked to his right, catching the bright red-eyed girl's attention. "This is why," was all he said before putting his earphones back on while trying to find a comfortable position to doze off in.

Was he referring to why he didn't want them to be in the same class? Or was he referring to being a transfer student? Either way, Minako only gave him a slight glare for being so pessimistic. It was only natural for them to be excited for two new mysterious students showing up. While she didn't really condone the silly rumors that might start up, she could hear the whispers about her and her looks, and it only made her fidget a little in her seat as her cheeks filled with warmth.

Another teacher's voice could suddenly be heard, "I hear talking. I believe it's someone in Ms. Toriumi's class..."

"Shhh! Be quiet! You're going to get me in trouble!" Ms. Toriumi spent the rest of the Welcoming Ceremony trying to keep her students quiet.

* * *

They stood in front of the class as Ms. Toriumi introduced them to the class, "This is Minato Arisato and Minako Arisato, the new transfer students. Surprisingly, they're not related, but I guess that makes things more interesting for them. Please welcome them into our class." Minako bowed before giving a smile that no doubt charmed all the guys in the class. Hell, she could have charmed all of the girls too. Minato only nodded with hands in pockets, casting his blue eyes over the guys that were already leaning over to each other, whispering about them.

"_You were right! The new girl is totally cute...up there with Yukari's standards!"_

"_If you want a chance with her, you better not screw up her name! Girls always get pissed if you mistake someone else's name as theirs. I know from experience..."_

"_Aaaagh, why did the guy have to share such a similar name as hers?! I'm going to screw it up, I know it!"_

"_But you know, I heard she was walking with Yukari this morning... That could mean we could see those two beauties together in a pair often!"_

"_Oh, man..."_

Minato could only imagine what they were drooling over as he looked over in the direction of some of the girls who were whispering to each other. When his eyes met theirs, they quickly averted their eyes.

"_He looked over here, he looked over here!"_

"_Shh, shh, shh... Don't act like you're having a heart attack, stupid!"_

"_He looks way mysterious...and he's already acting so cool and rebellious on his first day!"_

Minato sighed.

* * *

School ended faster than Minako thought, and she was finally catching a breather during the after school session. As flattering as all the attention was, she felt like if she did anything embarrassing it would follow her for the rest of the year. "I'm already tired," she complained as she crossed her arms on her desk and rested her chin on top. Looking to her right, her red eyes found that blue jerk sitting there listening to his music again. Did he ever not listen to music? While she was tempted to yank those earphones off of him, she was interrupted by a voice.

"'Sup dudes?" A male student wearing a baseball cap approached her in from in between her and Minato. It seemed like he was referring to the both of them, but his eyes were on her.

Turning his head to see who was standing there, Minato pulled his earphones off, "Who are you?"

"Me?" He smirked and reeled his head back a bit, a big grin coming across his face, "I'm Junpei Iori. Nice to meet ya. I thought I'd check up on you two, make sure you guys weren't freaking out on your first day."

Yukari walked up with an audible sigh, "At it again, huh? Honestly, hitting on the new girl while introducing yourself to the new guy at the same time? Don't you ever think you might be bothering someone?"

"What? But, I was just bein' friendly."

"If you say so," Yukari shrugged a bit before her hands came clasped together again behind her while she stood in the group.

"Oh, u-um, nice to meet you, Junpei!" Minako smiled at the cap wearing student before looking up at Yukari, "Have you two known each other for a while?"

Yukari almost scoffed at the notion, "Me know Junpei? I really only know that he hits on anything that moves as long as it's female. Or have you also included guys now now that you've struck out so many times?"

"Ouch, not cool, Yuka-tan," Junpei frowned a bit before looking down at the auburn haired girl, "Yuka-tan here is pretty popular, you know. Despite her popularity, she really doesn't hang out with the guys much, and if she did, I doubt she'd ever hang out with a small fry like me. But hey, I'm not complaining too much. Anyways, it's Mina...ko, right? And he's Minato?" He looked over at the blue haired student sitting opposite Minako.

Yukari frowned at Junpei's comments about her, but she didn't say anything more on the matter as she answered for the two, "Yeah, that's right."

"Damn, that's hella' confusing. Don't you have any nicknames or something? I mean, I guess I could call Minato something like...Minato-ku – " Junpei felt a shiver down his spine as those blue eyes speared through him. He guessed the guy didn't want something like that coming from him, "U-Uh...m-maybe not. Well, even if I remember your names correctly, I doubt you'll always hear it correctly when your names are so similar. So...why don't I make a nickname for you, Minako?"

She tilted her head with a finger tapping her chin before looking up at Yukari, "Well, you call her Yuka-tan, right? Something like that?"

"W-Well, that's kind of a special thing we have going on you know," Junpei said.

"Special thing? Don't get ahead of yourself. I only let you call me that because I don't want to bother with you."

"You've got your claws ready today, don't you, Yuka-tan... Anyways, I'm not really sure if I can call you something like that." Junpei stayed silent for a few moments before speaking up again, "If you don't mind, maybe something familiar like...Minako-chan? Or maybe even Nako-chan?"

Minako smiled as she heard those nicknames for her and she nodded, "Either is fine! Whichever is most comfortable for you."

"Ehh... You're lucky Nako-chan is so nice, Junpei. I doubt any other girl would have let you call them in such a familiar way," Yukari teased.

Minako smiled up at the two of them, "Isn't this the best kind of coincidence though? With us all being placed in the same class? I can already tell we'll be great friends!"

Yukari gave a nervous chuckle before nodding, "Y-Yeah, I'm glad we're in the same class too."

Junpei only nodded with a smirk on his face, "It'll definitely be an interesting year. Especially if you three keep coming to school like that... The rumors have started circulating and the two transfer students have already reached a dangerous peak in the kind of stories that are going on. And a lot of them involve you, Yuka-tan."

Her face flushed, "W-Well, you better be setting them straight, okay? We've only just started the school year, and these two don't need a bad reputation already." Sighing, Yukari started to back off and turn away, "Anyways, I've got some business with the archery team. Don't try anything funny, you got that, Junpei?" She left the classroom without waiting for a reply.

"Definitely claws extended today..." Junpei sighed before looking toward Minato, who was standing up with his earphones hanging around his neck. "You goin' home?"

"I see no point in sticking around when there's nothing else to do," Minato replied before turning to the bright-eyed girl, "You coming along?"

Minako blinked before grabbing her bag and standing up, "What, do you think I'll get lost or something..." She muttered lowly while smoothing out her skirt. "But yeah, we should head back to the dorm before it's too late."

"Right, you two are staying at that dorm with Yukari and...who was it, Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai? Man, I'm surprised that dorm hasn't been overrun with the crazed fans yet. There are so many crazed fans for all three of them, and I doubt you two are far from getting enough of your own crazed fans to make a club." Junpei kept speaking as he walked with them out into the courtyard. "You guys don't mind if I tag along, do you? I'll just walk you two back to the dorm. Besides, this would be a good time to get to know each other, yeah?"

There was no arguing with him as they walked back to the dorm together.

* * *

"Welcome back," Mitsuru said as the two entered the dorm.

After writing their names down on the sign-in sheet, they returned to their respective rooms, already tired.

* * *

The next day went by just as quickly. Minako was busy writing down notes and sometimes sneaking Junpei the answer when he was called on, while the blue jerk next to her was keeping his head low with his earphones on, trying to stay out of sight. In the end, without having anything to do it again, they ended up going back to the dorm as soon as classes ended.

"Mm..." The auburn haired girl stretched her arms above her head as she walked next to the blue jerk, "I don't know why, but I've been really tired recently. That weird night when we got here must have really taken it out of me. Have you been feeling alright recently?" Even if she didn't like him, Minako knew that they would see each other often when they lived in the same place. She was trying to make the best of it.

"Yeah, been a little tired recently too, but..." Minato cast his blue eyes down on the shorter girl next to him, "When you're doing all that talking during class and during breaks, I can hardly get any sleep."

"I-It's not my fault my seat is next to yours, okay?! Besides, you should be focusing during class. You're not going to do well when exams come around, you know? And I hear Mitsuru-senpai always gets the highest marks in her class, so I doubt she'd let you go when you fail your exam!" She reprimanded him as they walked up the stairs and walked into the dorm.

"Then I hope you do well enough for the both of us," was all Minato stated as he looked over to the lounge while waiting to sign in.

"Oh, they're back," said Yukari as she waved them over. She was sitting across an unfamiliar man.

"So these are our new guests... Good evening," the sophisticated gentleman greeted as the two walked over and sat down on the sofa, "My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school."

"_'Ikutsuki' ...Hard to say, isn't it?" _Minato blinked.

"'Ikutsuki' ...Hard to say, isn't it?" the gentleman continued.

"_...A world this depraved must be...started over from the beginning!"_ The auburn haired girl gave a noticeable wince at the sudden voice inside of her head, but she tried to recover by clearing her throat and shifting to pretend she was getting comfortable in her seat. That was odd? Maybe she really was that tired, but she was certain she had heard that strange thought in Ikutsuki's voice. He definitely seemed like a kind gentleman, so Minako was having trouble wondering why she made up such a villainous line for him. Maybe it was because he seemed like the complete opposite of a villain that she momentarily pictured him like that?

Minato wasn't sure why he was seeing the man move in such a strange way. It was as if there was a second image of Ikutsuki lagging behind the other, and he was seeing it in slow motion. He raised his hand to brush aside some of the bangs covering his right eye, but that didn't help at all. He could that second, ghostly image saying something before the real one said it himself. It was...freaky to be honest. "I guess I'm more tired than I thought," he mumbled to himself.

"...may take a while longer before you receive the proper room assignment," Ikutsuki's voice seemed to ring clear again at some point later in his small speech, "Is there anything you'd like to ask?"

"N-No, not really," Minako was the one that answered as her hands fidgeted with each other in her lap.

"Then, I hope you both have a successful year. You must be tired from all the excitement. You should go to bed early. As they say, 'The early bird catches the bookwork!'" Ikutsuki cleared his throat, "...Please forgive the bad pun."

"...You'll get used to his lame jokes," said Yukari.

"Hehe, yeah..." Minako gave a nervous laugh before standing up with her bag in hand. Giving a small bow to Ikutsuki, she excused herself to her room.

"Yeah, I'll...head to bed too. I'm so tired, I'm seeing things now..." The blue headed boy muttered to himself as he stood up as well and walked up the stairs to his room.

* * *

Opening her bright, red eyes, Minako stood in the middle of a strange room with doors that seemingly led to nothing on the sides. Her eyes were quickly drawn to a bizarre old man sitting behind a circular table. Before she could say anything, the man raised a gloved hand and extended it across the table before pulling it back, leaving a Velvet Key just on top of a piece of paper. After moving a bit closer cautiously, she could see that the paper was the contract she and Minato signed. Both of their names were signed on the sheet, albeit his name was a little blurry.

"...Welcome to the Velvet Room, my...returning guest," his voice made her jump, especially when he made an emphasis on her being a returning guest. "My name is Igor, I am delighted to see you again. I take it that you understand that you will assume responsibility any choices you make this time around as well?" His bulging, bloodshot eyes seemed to bore into her own eyes, which made her legs tremble slightly before she nodded. Giving a rather crooked smile, he motioned to the key, "Take this, then, and come as you please."

Picking up the Velvet Key, Minako felt an odd familiarity holding it in her small hand.

"Before you leave however," Igor paused for a moment as he seemed to think over what he was about to say, "I overstep my boundaries here, but...I think you deserve a small push." He paused again as if for emphasis, "You will need a complement to yourself. Only then will you even stand a chance..."

She could barely hear his words as her consciousness was almost immediately pulled out with a vortex kind of sound. What was that creepy old man talking about?

Igor stared forward into the room, alone once again. He gave a small sigh, "Normally, my assistants would be the one to give these free clues..." Yet another crooked smile crossed his face as he could hardly picture what was to come next for his guests.

* * *

Another day of school passed fairly quickly when Minato slept through most of the boring lecture classes. Every time he was awake though, he looked over to the loud girl to see that she was often staring off into space. It was unlike her to not pay attention in class. He chalked it up to the comment she made that morning about having a strange dream. Was it really that interesting of a dream? Then again, she was like an overexcited puppy. All the time. Minato wouldn't put it past her.

Once classes ended, Minako ended up hanging out with Yukari while Minato hung out with Junpei as they were shown the various popular places.

* * *

In a room on the fourth floor, three figures stood watching the two camera shots on the large screen. Midnight soon hit and the world entered the Dark Hour. The full moon on the night of April 9th emitted the same eeriness as usual during Dark Hours.

"...How are they?" Ikutsuki asked.

"...The same as last night. They're both asleep and haven't shown any symptoms of suffering from the Dark Hour," Mitsuru answered.

"Fascinating... No symptoms at all? There is no doubt in my mind that they have the potential." The sophisticated gentleman seemed to be in awe as he watched the Minako and Minato sleep in their separate rooms.

"We're treating them like guinea pigs..." Yukari said with concern.

Ikutsuki nodded, "I understand your concern, but it's imperative that we recruit new members. I heard they're both in the same class as you... Wouldn't you feel more comfortable working with students in the same grade? They're fellow classmates too."

"Yeah, I guess. But, still..." Yukari was interrupted by the emergency call that rang through the room.

Mitsuru quickly picked up the call, "Command room. ...Is that you, Akihiko?"

There was static on the other side before a voice broke through, "You're not going to believe this...! This thing's huge! Unfortunately, I don't have time to talk. It's chasing me. I wanted to...what the hell?" The sound of his footsteps seemed to stop through the call as the three looked on with blank looks, waiting for his voice again. "What the hell is that thing?!" A crash could be heard through the call, as if something was large and metal was thrown against a wall. "Damn it, I don't think I can make it there, this...this new thing's quick!" After a sequence of grunts, a loud voice came through, "Polydeuces! Sonic Pu-what the hell?!" Another crashing sound could be heard before a gut-wrenching sound.

Static.

"Akihiko!" Mitsuru called out his name with great concern before there was even more static.

"D-Damn it... I don't know what this thing is, but it did something to Polydeuces, and now...gah!" The sound of a struggle before the sound of something impaling flesh could be heard. "Mitsuru, get...get everyone ready and bar the doors. This thing's trying to ca – " Before he could finish, the call went dead.

Silence.

Ikutsuki looked rather nervous as sweat beaded down his face, "Oh dear."

Mitsuru clenched her fists before she slapped her hands on the console in front of her. After taking a deep breath, she looked over to Yukari, "Takeba, go wake the two up and – "

Yukari only widened her eyes as she pointed at the screen, "W-Wait, Mitsuru-senpai, Minato's not there anymore!"

Spinning around, Mitsuru's dark red eyes scanned the screen to see the sheets thrown back with Minato nowhere to be seen in his room. "Damn it! Takeba, wake up Arisato and find the other." With a fierce look in her eyes, she moved toward the door, "We don't have time for this! I'll go downstairs and secure the front door. Ikutsuki...stay here and monitor everything and see if you can find Minato." Ikutsuki only nodded as Mitsuru left the room in a hurry.

* * *

Minato yawned as he walked down the hallway in gray pajama pants with a plain, white t-shirt. Still on the second floor, he turned to take a look at the vending machines. It was unlike him to wake up like this, but he guessed he might as well get a drink or a snack before he fell asleep again. He also found it strange that everything was green again, but he just assumed it was normally like that at night, no matter how odd it seemed to him. Just as he was about to decide on something, he heard footsteps to his right. Casting his blue gaze over to where the stairs were, he could see someone ascend from the first floor. Someone with short silver hair.

"...Akihiko-senpai?" Minato could barely see him in the shadows of the strange green light. It also didn't help that Akihiko had his head lowered somewhat, as if he was exhausted. Once his head was raised, Minato felt a shiver go down his spine. Those grey eyes of his were filled with malice. It all seemed to happen in an instant, but as soon as Akihiko's foot first stepped onto the second floor, he darted forward and a bullet fast punch was aimed for his midriff. Minato could only throw his arms down to try and soften the blow as it knocked them apart easily and collided into him. He had heard that Akihiko was a talented boxer, but even he knew that this strength was unnatural. His body felt numb for a moment before he flew through the air and knocked into the wall with a sickening thud.

Gasping for breath, Minato looked up at his senpai as he began to approach him slowly. Did he break something? He could hardly move. Even through the pain and hazy vision, he could see something strange moving around Akihiko's chest and shoulders, as if it was rotating around him. It was then that he saw Akihiko pull out a silver gun from a holster. It was the same kind of gun that Yukari had when he first arrived. The look in those grey eyes of his was frightening. An unnatural, almost vicious smile appeared on his face as he pointed the gun at his head before uttering in a rough, low voice, "Poly...deuces..." Pulling the trigger, Minato could hear the sound of glass shattering before something huge formed behind Akihiko. It didn't take long for him to realize that the thing behind Akihiko was dripping with something...black. Was it mud? Tar? It was also dripping from those unnatural black eyes, as if it was shedding tears.

It mattered little to observe these things. Minato had a premonition of his imminent demise at the hands of this...thing.

That vicious, almost sadistic smile never left Akihiko's face as he mouthed an order for the monstrosity.

Megido.

* * *

.::|| I was debating whether or not to skip a lot of the scenes, but I felt like they were important enough to include for character introduction and dialogue purposes. Hopefully the pace wasn't too badly done. Also, I'm very glad to see all the positive reviews so far and to see the number of followers! I will try my best to continue making this story more enjoyable for you to read. Also, there was a question earlier about the pairings, and I'd rather not say for now, haha. It was a pretty difficult thing to decide on, but I'm sure the pairings will become more obvious as the story goes on. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 03: Dual

**Chapter 03: Dual**

Rolling out of bed, Minako gave a surprised squeak when her door slammed open. Tied up in her sheets, she looked at the intruder with frightened eyes. She calmed down when she realized it was Yukari, but the urgency and sharpness in her friend's voice only made her even more worried.

"Get up! I don't have time to explain. We have to get out of here, now!" Yukari was breathing heavily with a clear panicked expression.

Blinking, the bright-eyed girl struggled to get untangle herself before she noticed Yukari lean a long, thin implement against the wall. It seemed to be a naginata. It took her a moment before she suddenly pulled herself free of her sheets and cried out, "Wh-What are you doing with that?!" It was then that she also noticed Yukari carrying a bow with a small quiver on her back.

"You might need it just in case, okay? Now, hurry up and let's go! We can go downstairs and leave through the back door. Before...whatever gets here," Yukari's voice grew quieter before she turned and left the room to wait outside.

Did she suddenly lose her mind over night? Minako also noticed that it was oddly green wherever she looked. That weird, sickly kind of green. She cautiously moved closer to the naginata before noticing that it was just an imitation. Sighing in relief, she wondered why Yukari was trying to scare her like that. Still, something like an imitation naginata could still be dangerous! She didn't know that Yukari was the kind of girl to collect such weird and dangerous things.

"Hurry up, Minako!"

Minako jerked herself upright before grabbing the naginata and holding it close to her chest, "S-Sorry!" Even while there seemed to be urgency in Yukari's voice, the auburn haired girl couldn't help but look down at herself, and perhaps against her better judgment, she moved to grab her school uniform.

"What's taking you so lon – " Yukari was turning around before a shattering sound and a large thud from the floor below caught her attention.

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Mitsuru lowered her gun as a large figure wielding a dagger and a rapier disappeared in front of her. Shards of ice littered the floor as Akihiko was hunched over against the wall with those strange things still swirling around him. Exhaling in relief, the gathered female gripped the stair railing before casting her dark red eyes over at Minato, "Are you okay, Arisato? I'm sorry you had to get hurt like thi – " She was interrupted by a growl from the hunched over Akihiko, and she quickly took a step back onto the stairs while cautiously holding up her gun again. "...Arisato, Yukari and Minako should be here soon. Can you walk? You should follow them and get out of here as soon as – "

Akihiko's loose grip on the gun in his hand tightened and raised it, pressing it to his forehead, uttering that name again, "Poly...Polydeuces!" Minato was propped up on his elbow as he watched the shattered glass appear out of nowhere again before the shards spun around that reformed monstrosity. Akihiko looked up at her with piercing eyes just as she pressed the gun to her temple. Before Mitsuru could utter a word, the monster, Polydeuces, it seemed to be called, rushed toward the girl with wild abandon.

"Penthe – " Mitsuru dropped herself back on top of the stairs at the very last minute to avoid Polydeuces crushing her. She could feel the large entity passing over her and slamming into the wall next to her. When she had dove down to press herself against the stairs, Polydeuces had just barely brushed against her shoulder, but it was enough. Pain seared through her shoulder as her gun flew from her hand into the wall before it fell to the stairs below with a clatter.

Minato struggled to get on his feet, but he only ended up on his hands and knees. Raising his blue hues, he watched as Akihiko stood up slowly, a devious grin on his face. Polydeuces pulled itself away from the dent it had made in the wall and returned to the silver haired male. Minato swallowed as he could feel the attention being refocused onto him. Those grey eyes slowly came down on top of him, and he could see Akihiko sneer at him. Without even a word, Polydeuces raised its right arm and pointed that needle-like arm at blue haired boy.

"Damn...it..." Minato couldn't help but be angered at his helplessness. He was beginning to regain some strength to move, but it was already too late for any kind of heroic comeback. Not like he had a chance against the boxing champion he had heard so much about at school. Lowering his blue gaze, his breathing grew heavier as he continued to try and push himself up, refusing to keel over and wait for death.

Clink.

Almost reluctantly, Minato looked up just in time to see something fall down from hitting Polydeuces in that metallic arm of his. The object dropped at Akihiko's feet and in front of Minato.

A short sword.

Before the thought of even grabbing it came to mind, someone called from the stairs, "Hey, A-Akihiko-senpai, y-you stupid, thick skulled idiot! Wh-Why don't you pick on someone your own size?!" There was hardly anything convincing in that voice of hers. Minato had turned his attention toward the voice where he found those pair of brilliant crimson eyes. He swore they seemed to follow him everywhere. Minato could see her, in a messily thrown on school outfit, next to Yukari, who carried a bow in her left hand. The auburn haired girl was picking up long object, so he assumed she was the one that had thrown the blade. Even though it had essentially saved him, albeit perhaps for just a few more seconds, he couldn't help but think that he was lucky she hadn't missed and impaled him.

Her legs were trembling. "Y-Yukari, I...I think we should...u-uh...r-run. A-Akihiko-senpai doesn't look happy..." Minako swallowed as she was slowly backing up the stairs as Akihiko's eyes were turning to the pair on the stairway. Shaking her head, she held her naginata with her right hand before tugging on Yukari's arm, "C-Come on, let's go!"

"Y-Yeah," Yukari stuttered as she was a bit dazed by the scene. Even though she didn't know Akihiko-senpai very well, she had never thought she'd see such an unfitting look on his face. Such a bloodthirsty and...depraved look. Following Minako's tugs, she turned and started running up the stairs as well.

Polydeuces had disappeared by then as Akihiko hungrily eyed his new targets. It was clear to Minato that Akihiko couldn't think straight in any kind of fashion. Even though he was at the mercy of this possessed Akihiko, the focus was lost so easily as Akihiko was making it obvious that he wanted to go after the two girls. Like a rabid dog preferring the more feisty prey.

Akihiko made for the stairs just as Mitsuru stood up with a hand on her injured shoulder. Even though she could tell that her old friend wouldn't be stopped by just her, she still had to try. Raising her hands, she forced all of her weight down on Akihiko's shoulders when he tried to run through her. He paused for merely a moment before he twisted his shoulder and arms and effortlessly tossed Mitsuru over the railing. Without a second glance, he continued up the stairs.

Mitsuru let out a sound of surprise as she was thrown over the side of the railing, but she quickly regained her form in midair and grabbed one of the bars of the railing when she was flipping over to keep herself from tumbling down to the stairs below. Watching Akihiko go, she looked down and slowly slid down the bars of the railing before dropping, landing gracefully on the lower stairs despite her high heel boots. Picking up the gun she had dropped before, she moved up the stairs and rushed over to the injured blue-haired boy. "Arisato," her words were parted as she as trying to catch her breath while attempting to ignore the pain in her shoulder, "Are you alright? Can you move?"

Groaning in pain was probably enough of an answer for the redhead, but Minato wouldn't let up as he forced himself onto one foot.

"Don't move if it hurts too much. Can you stay put for now? I need to go help Takeba and Minako, so – " Mitsuru widened her eyes in surprise as Minato suddenly grabbed her shoulder and raised his eyes. His other hand reached for the sword. "...Are you sure?"

* * *

"Wh-What's wrong with Akihiko-senpai?!" Minako cried out in a panic as Yukari slammed the rooftop door shut and locked it from the outside.

"I...I don't know, but it's clearly the fault of whatever he found out there..." Yukari did little to ease the tension.

A loud thud came from the metal door. Someone had run into the other side.

Yukari jumped back next to Minako, who was already backing up toward the middle of the rooftop as she held the naginata nervously in both of her hands.

Another thud.

Minako felt a shiver run down her spine. While she wanted to blame the current situation for that reaction, she couldn't help but look over her shoulder to look at that gigantic moon in the sky. She felt like it was watching her. Had there been eyes on the surface of that eerie moon, they would no doubt be boring into her. An uneasy, sickening feeling.

The door broke free suddenly, and Akihiko's body flew forward, his hand reaching out wildly for Yukari. Even then, his eyes seemed to have look past Yukari and focus on the uneasy girl behind her. On impulse, Yukari stepped to the side and swung her bow at him, not wanting to shoot any potentially fatal arrows at her senpai. It caught Akihiko's head and clotheslined him, sending his body back into the ground. He landed with a rather sickening thud before he tumbled across the rooftop. Minako quickly ran to the side as his body rolled toward where she had just been.

"Takeba, Minako!" Mitsuru arrived with a new weapon in hand: a rapier. A hand reached around the doorway and Minato came into view, using the wall and doorframe to support himself.

"M-Minato?!"

It was her voice. Always her loud, annoying voice. He wanted to tell her to pipe down, but he could hardly keep himself standing let alone play word games with that girl. Minato held a short sword loosely in his right hand as he leaned against the door frame. Minato honestly didn't know what he was doing there, especially when he was in such an injured state. But he felt some uneasiness tugging him to that rooftop. His body was wracked with pain, yet that uneasiness felt so much worse.

Mitsuru advanced past Yukari and toward Akihiko's crumpled body, "You didn't...?"

"N-No, of course not!" Yukari quickly answered with a wave of her free hand.

"Good," Mitsuru let out a relieved sigh, "I'm glad we avoided anything drastic like that." She raised a hand to her ear and waited for a moment, "...Ikutsuki? Can you bring up two stretchers? ...yes, Akihiko's out of commission. Arisato...ah, Minato Arisato is heavily injured. Please be quick with – "

"Mitsuru-senpai!" Yukari's voice cried out.

His crumpled body began to have those floating black strips, like pieces of cloth, circle his body again. Scrambling to his knees, Akihiko pushed himself onto his knees and reeled back, letting out a monstrous, inhuman scream into the sky. Standing up slowly, he picked up the gun that had rested by him and began to raise it to his head.

"Stop, Akihiko. Come to your senses!" Mitsuru's loud, commanding voice almost echoed as she raised her rapier with her other hand readying her gun. "Fight it, Akihiko! You don't train everyday to be overtaken this easily, do you?!"

Akihiko faltered, but that gun nevertheless came to his forehead, and the trigger was pulled. Polydeuces reformed above the silver haired student as he got into a fighting stance. One that lacked any kind of finesse he had when he was still conscious.

Gritting her teeth, Mitsuru narrowed her eyes at Akihiko. "Takeba, provide backup," she ordered.

Yukari quickly ran up next to her senpai as she put her bow across her back and pulled out her own gun, the gun that both Minato and Minako had seen the first time they arrived here at the dorm. Minako had made her way over to injured boy by the door, concerned with the way he was struggling to stand, before looking over to the three figures gathered in the middle of the rooftop. "M-Mitsuru-senpai, I haven't even...not even against the normal ones yet! I don't...I don't know if I can...against Akihiko-senpai – "

"You want to help him, don't you? Then pull that trigger for his sake...otherwise we may not be able to save him. I'm counting on you, Takeba."

Swallowing, Yukari nodded as she readied herself early by putting that gun to her forehead with both of her hands.

A different monstrous scream filled the sky above them.

Mitsuru widened her eyes and took her gaze off of Akihiko to look around for the source of that new sound. Returning her eyes to Akihiko, she could see a long, black arm suddenly hook itself over the rooftop edge. Even she felt unnerved by the aura this monstrosity gave off as more of those arms began to appear over the edge. Akihiko showed no signs of reaction. In fact, it might have been that he was waiting for this new entity. "Takeba, we must take care of this quickly!" Mitsuru pointed her own gun at her head.

"R-Right! Yukari took a deep breath and closed her eyes, "I...I can do this...I can...I..." She always came so close to pulling the trigger, but the tension she felt was just too great for her body to respond. She wasn't like her two senpais. She had never used this thing for real, and it was just too much for her to use it on the spot like this.

"Takeba!"

She opened her eyes just in time to see the one hand holding a mask rise over the rooftop edge before a blast of fire sent her flying back. "Uaaah?!" Yukari's body landed a ways back from where she had been, her bow and gun skidding in different directions across the rooftop. Her gun came to a stop when it reached Minato's shoes. Groaning, she retained consciousness, but both her mind and body were in a state of shock from being in such danger. To be in a real battle where her life could be forfeit.

"Takeba...!" Mitsuru said her name under her breath, looking toward Yukari before looking back forward. "Penthesilea!" Pulling the trigger, that same glass shattering sound could be heard as the shards floated up and above Mitsuru, a large figure forming. It appeared as an iron-masked queen, and in her hands were a rapier and a dagger. "...Magician?" She did a short scan of the monstrosity and only obtained its arcana type. Raising her own rapier, Mitsuru slowly moved back a few steps as the mass of chaotic arms moved behind Akihiko. The arms suddenly brandished blades out of nowhere, and it was evident that there was the malice intent of cutting down Akihiko. Widening her eyes, she ordered Penthesilea forward, "Bufu!"

The figure Penthesilea motioned toward the arm creature, and the creature was soon hit by a blast of ice, pushing it back away from Akihiko's unmoving figure. Was he waiting for the Magician to kill him?

* * *

Propping herself up slowly, Yukari looked on as her senpai fought the new enemy. She doubted Akihiko would stay stagnant for long, and the thought of having to fight that arm creature made her shudder. That attack had sent searing pain through her body, and it was a sensation she had never felt before. A sensation that she never wanted to feel before. She was physically hurt, but she could easily recover from such injuries. The damage to her psyche was much worse, however, as it prevented her from even thinking of trying to recover her gun to join her senpai in battle.

"Do you...think Mitsuru-senpai will be alright?" Minako asked with a shaky voice.

"...Just wait and see. That's all we can do. Mitsuru-senpai and Yukari clearly know what's going on, and they have the ability to stop whatever the hell is happening. We...We can't do anything to help them," Minato sounded angry at himself for uttering such helpless words. His knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip on the hilt of the short sword. Shifting slightly, he heard a strange sound below his foot. Lowering his blue hues, he found what he had stepped on.

Yukari's gun.

* * *

Swinging her rapier deftly, Mitsuru was able to keep up with the flurry of blades coming at her. Penthesilea was also handling the majority of the arms to keep the redhead from being overwhelmed, and it made sure to try and disarm them to lessen the threat of the Magician. All in all, it was essentially a duel. She could tell she was getting nowhere with this though, as she would no doubt tire out before the Magician would. Even as she was fighting, she was trying to find a strategy to use in her favor. But her time was cut short as movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention.

"Look out, Mitsuru-senpai!" Minako's voice rang out.

Parrying a swing from one of the arms, Mitsuru spun around to see Akihiko dashing at her. While she didn't want to fatally injure Akihiko, she knew she wouldn't be able to beat him in a true duel when he would no doubt pursue her even if she tried to steal the use of his limbs. Polydeuces would no doubt aid in making sure he didn't stop till he was killed. Blinking at the thought, Mitsuru gracefully swooped down underneath Akihiko's first assault and spun to the other side. His movements were too obvious. This style of fighting was nothing but a barbaric attempt to hit her. Akihiko's agility and strength were abandoned for this disgraceful style. Frowning, she kicked Akihiko down with her high heel boots before fluently swinging her rapier to the side to block another incoming attack from a stray arm. Catching her breath, she noticed that the length of time she had Penthesilea summoned was beginning to take its toll on her body as beads of sweat rolled down her face.

The realization from before was also taking form now that she had a small breather as Penthesilea held back the Magician. While Akihiko was certainly being used, it was clear that whatever was controlling him also wanted him dead. It was proven to be true when he stayed motionless as the Magician appeared, as if he was waiting for death. And while it seemed like Akihiko wanted a battle to the death, it felt like there was some hidden intent of trying to force their hand in killing him.

Mitsuru lost her train of thought as Penthesilea took a blow to the side. This threw her focus awry, and Penthesilea disappeared as she felt the throbbing pain from the blow it had taken. Widening her eyes, she felt her legs being swept out from beneath her by Akihiko, who was still on the ground, looking over his shoulder at her. Catching herself on the ground with the hand that held her gun, the redhead grunted in effort to stop an blade from cutting down on her neck. Her victory was short-lived as one of the disarmed arms found an opening and struck Mitsuru in her side.

"Guh...!" Her body flew in the air for a few seconds before falling onto the shoulder that had been previously injured. This time, she could hear a sickening sound ring through in her ears, telling her that there was no use in trying with that arm anymore. It had been the same arm that held her gun, which was still flying through the air after she had landed. Her gun hit the wall next to the door and landed with a familiar clattering sound. With a huff of breath, she blew her bangs out of the way of her face. Bolstering herself against her rapier, she got up onto her feet yet again, her other arm limp at her side. Despite her condition, her eyes still had plenty of fight left in them.

Even though her odds were nonexistent.

"...Takeba," Mitsuru called out to get her attention without taking her own eyes off of the Magician picking up the blades it had been disarmed of. "I will keep them busy, so..." She paused to catch her breath before continuing, "Take Minako and Arisato and run... Run till the Dark Hour is over!" Mitsuru didn't wish to admit any kind of defeat, but she wanted to at least protect the younger students if at all possible. Her dark red eyes followed the movements of her old friend getting up on his feet again, hardly recognizing him as their eyes met.

"Akihiko..."

* * *

Hearing those words, Minako felt her heart sink at the thought of abandoning Mitsuru while she was risking her life just to buy them some time. She tightened her hold on her naginata as she felt conflicted. She was scared. Frightened. Terrified. None of those words were enough to describe the extent of her feelings.

Yet...

There was a growing feeling inside of her that she couldn't ignore. Just even thinking about abandoning Mitsuru made her disappointed in herself. It was a strange feeling. A feeling of not wanting to abandon someone close to her. Even though she had so much respect for Mitsuru and admired her in a way, they hadn't really spoken with each other. She hadn't even known her for a week yet! But... The yearning to be with them grew the more she thought about it. Yukari-chan. Akihiko-senpai. Mitsuru-senpai.

Everyone.

"N-No..." Her voice was quiet at first before she shook her head, screaming her answer, "No! I don't...I don't want to leave you, Mitsuru-senpai!" Minako knew that her eyes showed fear, but she honestly didn't care. Even as the attention from the arm monster and Akihiko made her shudder, she refused to back down. She wasn't stupid though. She knew running in swinging that imitation weapon of hers would be suicide. With no battle experience and any kind of ability, she had even less of a chance than the handicapped Mitsuru. What was she missing to fight like her senpais?

After screaming her refusal to follow Mitsuru's orders, Minako cast her bright crimson eyes down to where Mitsuru's gun had landed. Should she throw it back to her? Even if Mitsuru couldn't use her other arm, Minako expected her to still be able to summon that weird figure like before. If anything, maybe Mitsuru could use it as a distraction so they could all run? Swallowing, Minako quickly moved and bent down to pick up the gun.

The moment she touched it, a cold sensation ran through her entire body.

A tingling sensation that felt...satisfying.

Exhilarating.

* * *

Minato could feel the panic rising in him as the events turned out as they did. Mitsuru couldn't do it alone, and Yukari seemed to be out of action. _If only...Akihiko wasn't..._ He ran his free hand over his midriff, wondering if he had really broken anything. He didn't want fear to be the only thing holding himself back from engaging in the fight, to be the holding thing holding him back from giving any kind of help. No matter how futile it was. Still, as his hand ran over his midriff, he winced at notable places.

He had definitely broken something.

As the auburn haired girl left his side for the firearm that Mitsuru had lost, Minato dropped down to a knee as he tried ignore the pain with sheer willpower. The thought of Mitsuru-senpai bearing that burden and still fighting on was motivating, but there was a more obligating feeling underneath it all. Watching the people he had met just a few days ago being beaten in such a fashion angered him to no end.

It...infuriated him.

Minato knew it was illogical to think that he would stand a chance. He knew that he'd probably go down to the first thing that even glanced at him. But he wanted to fight. He didn't want to end up as a coward. He didn't want to run. "Yeah..." He muttered to himself as he had a self-deprecating smirk. Reaching down with his left hand, he pulled Yukari's gun from underneath his foot. Minato knew he was weak, but at all costs, he needed to do it.

Protect everyone.

With gun in hand, whispers resounded through his mind.

* * *

Yukari panicked as she looked toward Mitsuru after her order. She couldn't help but blame herself when she was the one that couldn't pull the trigger. She had the ability to help, but she failed to even put up a fight. She saw the reason behind Mitsuru's decision, even though it pained to think about abandoning someone to their fate to that...thing. "A-Alright..." She answered meekly as she pushed herself onto her feet. Turning to lead Minako and Minato away, she stopped when she saw them rise with the silver guns in their hands.

"W-Wait! Put those down! This...this is out of our league. We...we can't win like this... Let's listen to Mitsuru-senpai and run to cut our losses!" Yukari struggled to say those words, but she didn't want to see anyone else get hurt like this. Running over to them, she stopped in front of the two as they turned to her, but they were looking past her. She opened her mouth to say something more, but she nothing came out as she realized that they weren't listening to her. Or...couldn't hear her.

"Takeba, what's going on?!" Mitsuru called back, slowly backing up as the Magician finished picking up all of its blades and was making its way over to her, ignoring Akihiko, who became a lifeless doll again, for the time being.

"I...I don't know..." Yukari answered in a shaky voice.

Glancing back quickly, Mitsuru saw the two advancing past Yukari and toward the middle of the rooftop. Toward her. Toward the Magician and Akihiko. "What do you two think you're doing?! Listen to me and run while you still can! Don't worry about me, I...I'll be fine!" Her words faltered for the first time before she narrowed her eyes at how they ignored her. That familiar, monstrous growl made her turn again to see that it had come dangerously close. Gathering what strength she still had, she jumped to the side while swinging her rapier to try and block parry any attack that aimed for her vital points. Doing so only resulted in her uniform being cut up a bit with some blood drawn. Mitsuru landed to the side and immediately tried to get a hold of her shaking legs. If anything, she planned on trying to lead it away from the two until they realized they needed to run. But as she focused her attention on the Magician again, the auburn haired girl and the blue haired boy were already standing in front of it.

"Run, you – " Mitsuru's desperate order was cut off as they dropped their naginata and sword from their hands.

* * *

Minako's skirt fluttered in the wind as she stood next to the blue haired boy, looking forward at the monstrosity with glazed over eyes. The mangled mass of arms seemed to not bother them. Her right hand grasped Mitsuru's gun while Minato's left hand held Yukari's gun. Despite Minato's injuries, he stood upright as if there had never been any pain to begin with. They slowly raised their guns as the wind picked up in strength around them.

And pointed at each other's temple.

The wind began to circulate around them, momentarily trapping Minako and Minato inside a vortex with the monster. The Magician let out another unearthly scream before raising its arms with the intent of sinking its blades into the two. Yukari's and Mitsuru's voices could faintly be heard calling out their names, but their voices were mostly drowned out by the whistling of the gale around them. Their breathing aligned with each other as their bodies could almost hear and feel the other's heartbeat. As they pulled the trigger, they whispered in unison.

"...Per...sona."

* * *

.::|| For those that mentioned it, no, Polydeuces does not learn any almighty attacks. I felt like the almighty damage skills have a much stronger feeling of demise and evil than even that of dark skills. Anyways, thank you all again for the many positive reviews! I was hoping to push this out earlier, but I found myself playing my file on P3P on maniac mode. The game is addicting... x_x Also, I was planning on making this chapter all action, but my writing style ended up making it a lot of dialogue and inner turmoil again, and it might have made it a bit slower paced than I had imagined... I'm not entirely sure if the flow of the battle and their thoughts worked well together, but I'm praying it's readable. I hope you enjoy this chapter and leave more wonderful reviews! I'm planning on putting out the next chapter soon.


	5. Chapter 04: Havoc

**Chapter 04: Havoc**

Shattered glass flew into the wind as the gale on the rooftop grew more intense. Power surged through their bodies as their glazed over eyes remained unfaltering, gleaming under the moonlight. The shards of glass spiraled above them before they shone with a light unlike the previous summonings that night. Above the blue haired boy appeared a masculine, human-like figure with a giant lyre on its back. Despite having a mechanical body, adorning a platinum-colored torso, the head seemed real enough with its short white hair and glowing red eyes. A very similar figure appeared above the girl with a few significant differences. While also having a human-like figure, it had a more feminine figure with a golden-colored torso. Its head had a lighter tone of color, and its long, brown hair blew in the wind as a giant heart-shaped lyre lay on its back.

They floated over their masters as their voices rang out in different tones. "Thou art I..." The boy and girl wore almost perverse smiles as their personas spoke. "...and I am thou. I am...Orpheus." The introduction was short and swift, but the bond between the two personas named Orpheus and their masters formed easily. The tempest around them finally died down as smoke trickled upward from the guns the two had fired. Just having their personas summoned bolstered the fierce willpower they both shared. As things were finally calming down after their summoning, a flurry of sounds broke the silence.

The Magician had waited no longer in flailing its blades at all four of them.

Their eyes returned to normal from their blank stare just in time to see the glinting swords coming down on them. Diving in different directions, they avoided a good number of them while their personas repelled the rest with their metallic arms before breaking away from each other to stay by their master's side.

* * *

Minako was unusually surprised at being attacked like that. The last few moments were already hazy to her, but the fire that had been lit from summoning Orpheus flickered dangerously. Dazed from coming so close to the monster, she tried focusing her thoughts again. It was odd to feel so surprised in being assaulted like that. Wasn't it obvious that the Magician would do that? Getting to her feet, with Orpheus floating by as a guardian, she couldn't help but shudder as those nonexistent eyes of the Magician settled on her. Minako never remembered it coming to this point.

_...to this...point?_

Pushing himself onto his feet, the blue haired boy noticed how his body felt much lighter and stronger than it had before. The pain also subsided for the most part. While Minato wanted to believe that his Orpheus had healed his wounds, he highly doubted it would be that easy. If anything, he expected it to have just numbed down the pain or even hindered his senses in feeling the pain to allow him to move without hesitation. No matter the answer, Minato silently thanked his persona for the opportunity. Still, it was difficult to find a way to initiate with the Magician. Summoning something like Mitsuru and Akihiko didn't mean they suddenly gained battle experience. He was certain neither of them had a background in combat.

Even as his thoughts were running wild, he was interrupted as his blue hues followed the Magician while it moved swinging its arms toward the auburn haired girl. Minako was backing up slowly, but the Orpheus she summoned came down in front of her to act as a shield. Growling at his own indecisiveness, he ran to where they had been before to pick up the naginata that girl dropped before. _No time to hesitate._ Narrowing his eyes, he pulled his hand back with the naginata just as the Magician reached the girl.

"Minako!" yelled the male, launching the naginata as a spear before mumbling under his breath, "Payback for last time..."

Minako winced at the sound of his voice, but she looked to the side just in time to see the naginata sailing through the air before impaling itself into the side of the Magician. On impulse, she darted forward, ducking beneath two swinging arms, before sliding down onto her knees to grab the pole weapon by the wooden shaft. Yanking it free, she went into a tumble and rolled to the other side before jumping to her feet. It took a moment before the realization of what she did came to her. Where had she ever learned to do that? She had also expected her knees to hurt by sliding on the rooftop like that, but luckily the rooftop was just smooth enough to not cause any bleeding from doing something so reckless.

Her amazement at herself was cut short as she ducked underneath a horizontal swing by the monster and took a few steps back, almost tripping. Giving a look of confusion, she squeezed her eyes shut and swung wildly at the Magician, giving way to her panic from the sudden attack. She swung at air, as she was too far away after backing up.

"Idiot!" Minato yelled in an irritated tone as he stood back up after picking up his sword, "Don't swing with your eyes closed! Just – " Widening his eyes, he quickly looked to his side as a streak of silver came at him. Raising his sword to try and block, the silver haired male punched without hesitation into the flat side of the blade. It shattered easily in Minato's hands. "Guh...!" Minato quickly took a few steps back before throwing the hilt of the sword aside as he met the wild grey eyes of Akihiko's. There was a voice inside of him that told him to run. That told him to use Orpheus as a shield so he could escape. There was no possible way that he could beat Akihiko, especially in hand-to-hand combat.

But Orpheus showed himself in front of the blue haired boy.

It was all he needed to strengthen his resolve. Swallowing, he had Orpheus move aside as his eyes met with Akihiko's again. "I don't know what it'll take to get you back, Akihiko-senpai, but..." He watched as Akihiko was already lifting his own gun, "It can't hurt to just try and knock some sense into you." Minato smirked at his own words as he raised his hands, keeping his gun in his left hand, "Can't hurt too much at least..."

Minako forced her eyes open after hearing his voice again, but only found herself even more frightened as the massive thing advanced on her. How was it possible that she was freaked out by it looking at her when it didn't have eyes?! It just had that creepy mask... Gritting her teeth, she took a step forward with unnatural speed as she swung in an accurate arc, cutting off two of the Magician's arms, before sidestepping one swing and taking a step back to dodge another. Widening her eyes at what she just did again, she shook her head, trying to concentrate. _Wh-What's going on?! I...I feel like...I can..._ Confidence swelled in her chest as she dashed in this time, weaving between the arms that reached out or slashed at her, and she waited till she was about to step right on top of it before dropping to one knee and swinging her naginata in an arc above her, dismembering the extended arms.

A monstrous, pained scream rang in her ears. The arms and blades that landed on the rooftop quickly dissolved into particles that floated up and disappeared entirely. Panting, Minako looked up with her crimson eyes to see the mask looking at her. She had gotten distracted for too long as a blade came at a low angle, aiming right for her side. In reaction, she raised the hand that held her gun to try and block it, but a large metallic arm came down to repel the attack. Long, brown hair drifted in front of Minako's eyes as her comrade floated protectively by her. Getting onto her feet, she jumped back a bit again to get some distance before glancing at Orpheus.

She wasn't alone in this fight.

Minako wasn't exactly sure how to use Orpheus in a fashion like Mitsuru had used hers, but the bond and understanding between them seemed to grow as they stood next to each other like that. An unearthly squeal came from the Magician as arms sprouted from the sickening mass, brandishing blades yet again. It could regenerate? She tried to not let herself get too disheartened as she readied herself again, this time faintly speaking with Orpheus in her mind.

That unearthly squeal had set Minato off balance, but he quickly regained his composure before being completely knocked down onto his back. Wiping the blood from his lip, Minato rolled backward onto his feet and kept himself up with a hand down on the fairly smooth rooftop. He hadn't expected to beat the supposed boxing champion at all. He just wanted to buy some time for the auburn haired girl to maybe find a way to defeat that monstrosity. Yet, after being hit so many times, knowing that he had broken something now if not before, he felt like there was a chance. With Polydeuces being held back by Orpheus, the lyre-wielding persona agilely dodging the wild attacks and using its lyre as a blunt bashing weapon, it was a duel between him and his senpai.

In all the chaos of getting his senses beaten out of him, Minato noticed what Mitsuru had so quickly learned earlier. Akihiko had the build, strength, and agility of a boxing champion, but he used nothing but strength. Given Minato's experience, it was enough to beat him to a pulp, but somehow he was adapting. Those wild swings were becoming more and more predictable, especially when his eyes grew used to seeing the startup motion of the attacks. It was a nostalgic feeling, as the longer the fight went on, the more comfortable he was becoming with his own movements.

Akihiko came at him again with the same speed as before, but in Minato's eyes, it had become drastically slower than what it had been on the stairs. Was it because of Orpheus? Nevertheless, Minato growled as he jerked his body up and forward, never letting his eyes leave Akihiko's. As the first swing came for his head, aiming to knock it completely off, the blue haired boy ducked his head just enough to feel it brush back the back of his hair. Twisting his body upward, his free hand rolled into a fist and connected with Akihiko's midriff. It was like hitting a brick wall. He didn't let up though when he saw Akihiko falter because of that impact, so he followed it up with raising his other hand and slamming the butt of the gun against Akihiko's forehead.

With that, the boxing champion took a step backward. Not wanting to let up on the momentum, Minato closed the distance again and shoulder charged the silver haired student's chest, getting the reaction of the head coming forward again. As if it was all playing out in his head, Minato gritted his teeth before swinging his head forward, headbutting the hardheaded Akihiko, sending both of them back. Stopping himself from falling with a sliding foot, Minato's eyes twitched from the bruise on his forehead as he watched Akihiko get sent back onto the floor from the exchange. If anything, this was a short-lived victory because it was the first time he had gotten anything in on him, but it was enough to keep the blue haired boy standing. It wasn't impossible.

He could do it.

The bright red-eyed girl was running circles around the Magician when it started to add spells to its repertoire of attacks. "U-Unfair!" Minako cried out as she could now not even get close without that tension of a spell being cast where she was. While she was distracted with avoiding the bursts of fire and spirals of blue, Orpheus was making sure she wasn't caught out of position by the extending arms. An arm suddenly came for her heels, and neither Orpheus or Minako noticed it before it was too late. It was lucky for her that this one wasn't donning a blade, but she could already feel her heart sink as she had her legs swiped out from underneath her and she landed essentially on her face. Desperately scrambling to get up, she only reached a sitting position before the air grew heavy with the premonition of a spell being cast right on top of her. Raising her arm in reaction, she tried to lessen the damage if anything.

Three arrows whistled through the air before flying into the Magician's mask. While it didn't seem to be a part of the monstrosity, it still let out a pained sound. A solid crack was visible across the mask now as an arm moved to pull them out. The air returned to normal around Minako as she stood up, looking behind her to see Yukari's bow raised with another arrow notched. Her bright, crimson eyes met Yukari's brown ones, and Minako couldn't help but feel elated in seeing her friend up again. Yukari slowly walked up next to Minako while her eyes stayed narrowed on the Magician, "Are you alright, Nako-chan? This shadow is unusually more powerful than the others." Her voice sounded slightly pained, "...I'm sorry for being so helpless and useless. I'm supposed to be the one with more experience, and yet you were able to summon your persona so easily, unlike me... If anything, I'll provide support so you can get in close."

Minako couldn't help but want to throw her arms around Yukari when she heard her words, but she knew now wasn't the time for that. She watched as Yukari sent another arrow out to impale one of the arms into its mask as it was trying to pull a different arrow out. Yukari had called it a shadow? She guessed it was a somewhat fitting description as she raised her naginata again before smiling with renewed confidence, "I'll be counting on you, Yukari-chan." Yukari only smiled as she notched another arrow, seeing that Minako was opting to call her as close friends would. With Yukari there, the flickering flame inside of her became a raging fire as she dashed forward again.

Those swings of Akihiko's were getting even stronger as desperation joined those bloodthirsty eyes. Minato knew these punches would be much more devastating than the previous ones, so he couldn't help but continue to back away every time Akihiko got too close. He knew he was being backed into a corner though, and while the wild Akihiko didn't seem to have any kind of strategy, the hunter instincts he felt no doubt knew that he was getting into an advantageous position. _Damn..._ The speed of those wild punches picked up, so Minako found little to no openings. Glancing behind himself for just a moment, he could see the edge of the rooftop getting closer and closer with each step he took. He tried calling Orpheus over to him, but Polydeuces wouldn't allow him to get too far, always blocking his path. At this rate, either his head would be knocked off, or he would be thrown off the rooftop.

Trotting footsteps could be heard before someone charged into Akihiko from the side, forcing him away a few steps. Mitsuru stood there in front of Minato, panting as her left arm was still limp at her side. Although she had her rapier in hand, Minato was certain that she wasn't going to use it on her crazed friend. "...I'm surprised you can still move, Arisato. Has summoning your persona given you this much strength?" She gave a chuckle as she couldn't ignore the pain in her shoulder, but she wasn't about to let it stop her from at least being a distraction. "Having a persona materialized is tiring...and it takes a toll on your endurance after a lengthy amount of time. Akihiko has summoned it multiple times tonight, and yet he is still keeping it out to battle yours. Either he has suddenly gained more endurance than before, or..." She swallowed as her expression grew somber, "...The strain will eventually become too much and his body will cease to function. For good."

Minato was trying to catch his breath as his eyes moved over to Akihiko, "Is there...anything we can do?"

No answer came from Mitsuru as she raised her rapier, "I don't know if we can make him return to normal, but we can at least save his life. We need to immobilize him and knock him out so he isn't able retain his materialized persona. It's...It's absolutely dire that we accomplish this, Arisato." He didn't even have to ask, understanding far too well. Minato could tell that Mitsuru truly cared for her friend, and just thinking of fighting against him like this pained her. He couldn't help but admit to himself that he had similar feelings of wanting to save Akihiko at all costs. "If you can restrain him long enough, I can make sure to...beat his head enough to knock him senseless." It sounded dark to do such a thing, but Minato had no real objections.

This time, the blue haired boy was the one to take the initiative. Rushing forward, he made sure he kept Akihiko's attention. Even if Mitsuru was trying to help, he couldn't let her take the frontline when she was handicapped like that. Tightening his hold on the silver gun, Minato aimed to dodge just the first strike. Concentrating solely on Akihiko's eyes, he only blinked as the shift in his eyes signaled which fist would come forward. Akihiko's right came forward at blinding speed, but Minato strained his legs for a burst of speed, getting into close quarters and behind that punch as their eyes violently conflicted with each other. Jamming the butt of the gun into Akihiko's midriff again, he lowered himself low enough to quickly follow up with a head collision into the boxer's chin. If there was any kind of boxing knowledge he had, it was that the chin was a very sensitive spot. Still, he didn't want to take any chances in thinking he had won the exchange as he spun underneath Akihiko's arm and hooked his arms underneath Akihiko's, wrapping them around his shoulders. Pushing his knees into the back of Akihiko's, he forced the silver haired student onto his knees as Minato desperately tried to keep Akihiko contained throughout his struggles.

Had he been alone, this only would've lasted for a few moments before Akihiko turned on him, but the redhead had already appeared in front of Akihiko. Sadness dwelled in her dark red eyes as she gave him a swift kick to weaken him even further. Mitsuru grimaced at what she was about to do as she lowered herself to Akihiko's level, raising the rapier in her hand. "...Please, return to your senses soon, Akihiko," She murmured before hitting him across the head with a swift blow of the butt of her blade. She quickly came across again from the other side, wincing every time she felt the hilt strike his head. She could tell there was still strength in him as he pulled at Minato's arms to free himself. "Please...stop..." Mitsuru's voice wavered as she raised her rapier again, preparing to beat him till he stopped moving.

This time, Orpheus was close behind her. Crimson eyes gleaming in the moonlight, she spoke underneath her breath as she got close, "Agi...!" While still moving forward, Orpheus pulled the heart-shaped lyre from her back and strummed it once. Just like when the Magician attacked her with spells, the air around the Magician seemed to compress slightly before a burst of fire evoked a pained squeal from the massive shadow. Using that opportunity, she used part of her momentum to slash downward with her naginata, this time cutting deep into the body. Arrows flew past her head and hit several of the arms, giving her more time than she had expected. Narrowing her eyes, she lifted her arms and slashed diagonally up and to the right, and a similar sound of cutting into flesh rang out from the tip of her pole weapon. Clenching her teeth, she shifted her weight again and spun to the left, pushing herself into the air as she did so. Spinning in the air, Minako tightened her grip as the Magician came into sight again. Bringing down the naginata with all her might, she felt it crash down onto the mask, splitting it in half, before continuing down to cut deep into the center of the shadow.

A gut-wrenching scream filled the night as Minako jumped back, watching as particles of the shadows were drifting into the air, just like its arms had done when they were separated. Desperately waving its arms, it tried dragging itself to Minako. Without that mask, she felt as if it had lost its eyes. It felt as if she had cut off its only sense of itself, and despite what it had done, it was depressing to think that she had been the one to do it. Lowering her naginata, she sighed softly as she gave one last order to Orpheus. Bursts of fire began to repeatedly hit the slow moving Magician, evoking painful screams as it was slowly disappearing. They had won, but hearing such screams was still too new to her for her to be happy about it. Just as the last bit of the Magician was disappearing, she raised her crimson hues to see an inkling of a face drifting up as well. It was a...familiar face. She couldn't recognize it completely though.

As it was disappearing, the auburn haired girl turned to see Mitsuru raising her rapier over Akihiko. Panic rose in her as she rushed over, "W-Wait, Mitsuru-senpai! Wh-What're you doing?!" Yukari was quick to follow behind her.

Mitsuru faltered at hearing Minako's voice, but she only looked down at the Akihiko with his head hanging low. She had only briefly glanced over to see that they defeated the Magician, but she couldn't congratulate them when she was doing such a despicable act. A growl came from him and she tightened her grip on the rapier again. The sound of Polydeuces struggling with Minato's Orpheus only strengthened her resolve as she shook her head, "He'll...He'll die if we let him go on like this. We need to make him recall his persona! That's why...that's why I'm...!"

The redhead blinked in surprise before raising her eyes, the feeling of being watched overwhelming her figure. A silhouette of the face Minako had seen was still floating high above them. By now, it had degenerated into just a faint round face with holes for eyes and mouth, but malice lay behind that curved mouth. A smile that would even make the fearless shudder. It only lasted a moment more before it vanished into the wind.

Akihiko screamed. Mitsuru almost reeled back at the sound, but she stayed close as she dropped her rapier. Akihiko raised his head with seemingly black smoke coming from his eyes and mouth. His painful scream lasted for a few moments, with Mitsuru grabbing his shoulder, before a the fog escaped from his eyes and mouth entirely and rose into the sky, disappearing into the wind just like the silhouette had. With that, his head dropped low. Polydeuces also stopped to function as it dropped to the ground, the black tears it shed coming to a halt before it faded away. It was too soon to be relieved as Mitsuru shook Akihiko's shoulder, "Akihiko!" Her eyes were filled with worry as she lowered her head, tightening her hold on him, "...Akihiko?!" Mitsuru's voice shook.

After a moment of silence, Akihiko shifted slightly in Minato's arms and he slowly raised his face. Groaning, he looked up at Mitsuru with one closed eye, "You're...too loud, Mitsuru..." Minato released Akihiko's arms finally, thinking he was fine after hearing a normal voice, but it only let Akihiko fall forward forward, the strength he had before already gone. Mitsuru quickly caught Akihiko with her one usable arm and wrapped it around his masculine figure, a relieved expression appearing on her face. "Heh. I didn't think I'd ever see you this concerned again... I must have really screwed up this time, hm?"

Mitsuru closed her eyes as she tightened her hold on her old friend, "Be quiet, Akihiko. Just...Just get some sleep for now."

"Willingly," was all he said before he went completely limp against Mitsuru.

A sigh of relief escaped the lips of the others surrounding the two, and Minako sank to her knees as Orpheus disappeared behind her. "Thank goodness... I was so worried that – " Her eyes went blank as she swayed slightly before falling to her side. Minato was still trying to catch his breath as his own Orpheus disappeared. Despite his attempts to stay conscious, he gave his two senpais one last satisfied look before he gave way and fell forward.

Yukari gasped and gave a worried sound before she moved to check on the both of them, "Are you two okay?! Come on...!" Kneeling to check on Minako and then rolling Minato over so he was facing up, she sighed in relief before giving a nervous laugh, "They're...They're just sleeping...eheheh..."

"No doubt they're exhausted. They deserve a long rest." Despite all of the injuries, Mitsuru couldn't help but feel satisfied that none of them were fatal. Raising her hand while Akihiko still rested with his head over her shoulder, she contacted Ikutsuki, "Ikutsuki? Are you still there? ...yes, I guess you saw all of that, didn't you? We can discuss later about what went on. Please, bring us some stretchers and call for a doctor. I don't want to take any chances, and I'm certain they'll have injures that must be cared for right away. ...Thank you." Lowering her hand, she took a deep breath, exhausted. She knew she shouldn't complain though. The three asleep would no doubt feel that exhaustion for days to come.

"Mitsuru-senpai?" Yukari called out to her while she sat in between Minako and Minato.

"Yes?"

"What...What happened to Akihiko-senpai?"

Casting her dark red eyes down on her silver haired friend, she shook her head after a moment of silence, "I don't know, Takeba. Too many things happened tonight that we were unprepared for. But...I promise you." She rested her hand over Akihiko's shoulder as she shifted to get more comfortable underneath him, not wanting to drop him.

"We will find out what...or who is responsible for this."

* * *

.::|| This one is a little shorter and a bit more condensed, so sorry about that! I had about three pages written earlier, but I decided to delete it all and took this approach. I just didn't feel like the direction it was going was right, and I found this approach to be a bit easier to write. I didn't really have time to edit this one, so if there are any major mistakes, I'll correct them later. I pray the battle was fluid enough for you to read! Hope to see more wonderful reviews from you all, and thanks again for reading! **I edited it to fix many mistakes, and I tried cleaning up the flow of the text. If you weren't really wanting action, I'm planning on taking a break from it for the next couple of chapters.


	6. Chapter 05: SEES

**Chapter 05: SEES**

Darkness. It was familiar scenery to Minato. _Never exciting here..._ His thought almost surprised him; he hadn't expected to have free reign of thought. He tried moving, but nothing would budge, although he guessed that it didn't really matter when he couldn't even see anything. Or hear anything. He was just floating about the emptiness in his mind. The only sensation was a troublesome one. A mix of both satisfaction and disappointment. Minato could picture himself scowling at the thought of it. His solitude in the pitch black must have been getting to him. Closing his eyes, or at least trying to, he waited to wake up.

* * *

"It's so nice to see you again."

Snapping his eyes open, Minato found bloodshot eyes gazing into his own. That was not the first thing he wanted to see when he woke up. Taking a moment to quickly look around, he realized that he wasn't anywhere he had been before, "Where...?" Was it some kind of elevator? The room was clearly ascending, but it didn't look like it'd be stopping anytime soon.

"...You became unconscious after awakening to your 'power,'" continued Igor, disregarding Minato's confusion, "I see that it was Orpheus that heeded your calling. That power is called a Persona... It is a manifestation of your psyche – "

"But there were two of them," Minato interrupted the old man as he finally turned back to face him. It was almost hard to look straight at him when he knew those bloodshot eyes were watching his every move. "Are you telling me that of all people, that girl...?" He grimaced at the thought of being compared to that hyperactive annoyance.

A smile crept over Igor's face as he eyed the blue eyed boy, "Ah, yes, my other frequenting guest..." Minato didn't like the way he smiled at all. "Not necessarily. Hers was not the same as yours, per say... You should be able to tell the differences. Although, it is interesting to see two Personas have such similar features and...roles." Letting out a what sounded like a chuckle to Minato, he continued, "Nevertheless, you can think of the Persona as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships."

"A mask?" It was irritating to hear Igor speak in short phrases. Narrowing his eyes, he stepped to the front of the table facing Igor, keeping his hands in his pockets, "I'm guessing that you know what kind of hardships...but you won't tell me, will you?"

"I assure you, my well respected guest, that even I am at the edge of my seat to see what lays before you," Igor explained in his usual manner before pausing for a moment. Digging around in his pocket, he withdrew a crumpled, rolled up piece of paper. Opening it, a Velvet Key appeared from it while he smoothed it out before sliding it across the table at Minato. It was the contract he had signed that night. Before he could question the old man, Igor started again, "You are always an unexpected one, aren't you? Visiting at a different time than before; maybe that's the sign of...change?" He nodded at the key in front of him, "That key will allow you to come back as you please. Do so as you see fit. As always, I, Igor, will be waiting for you to visit."

"Igor?" Minato repeated the old man's name as he picked up the key and slipped it into his pocket, "Hold on, you haven't really explained anything other than – "

"Before I forget, I must tell you about your Persona. You must channel your inner strength in order to use its abilities, and these abilities will develop as you develop your emotional ties with others," Igor noticed how that caught the boy's attention. Minato had given a slightly pained expression, which he quickly tried to hide by looking to the side. While most likely insignificant, the blue haired boy still should not have had any recollection of what had been. "The stronger the ties become, the more powerful your Persona's ability. Please remember that," Igor gave Minato a smile that sent shivers down his spine, "Now, then..."

Minato felt himself being pulled out of consciousness again as he stood there. "Wait! I'm not done ye – "

"Time marches on in your world. I shouldn't keep you here any longer," Igor reached out to pull back the crumpled contract, "Next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord. Until then..." He watched the blue haired boy with a blank look be thrown back through the door behind him, disappearing before the door shut again. "...Farewell," he finished as he put the contract back into his pocket.

Gloved hands coming together, entwining fingers, Igor peered over at the spot where his guest had just been standing. "You two are certainly an interesting and...lively pair. That potential..." For the first time in a long time, he grimaced at his following thought, "Even I did not foresee what you could accomplish; obtaining the most powerful arcana. I have no doubt you have even more surprises in store for me. However, be wary of your own powers, my naïve guests. Preventing one catastrophe...may set off another." His somber demeanor changed yet again as an eager, crooked smile crossed his face.

He was experiencing them much more often nowadays.

* * *

A white ceiling.

It took a moment before Minato realized that he was awake. His eyes were still adjusting to the light when he noticed a strange sound beside him. Turning his head, his blue eyes fell upon the back of a female school uniform. He let out a soft sigh while he grunted quietly, pushing himself up into a sitting position, shoulders resting against the wall behind him. _...the hell is she doing._ Scowling, he called out to her, "Hey."

She jumped a bit at hearing his voice, but she spun around in her chair with a knife and half peeled apple in her hands, "A-Ah! You're awake!"

"...and what are you doing here?" It was enough that he had a creepy old man invading his dreams, but now she was there too, right when he woke up.

Minako beamed at the blue haired boy as she placed down the knife on the small table next to his bed, which also had a bowl of sliced apples on it. "I'm checking up on you, of course. I...only woke up about an hour ago, so I'm still a little stunned about what happened. The doctors told me that I was just exhausted, but I didn't think I'd sleep for ten days like that!" She let out a soft laugh as she seemingly played with the apple in her hands, "But then I heard you were in the same hospital too...so I asked if I could see you. I was surprised you didn't wake up yet, but it was probably better for you to rest longer. I heard you were exhausted too, but they said they had to...um...double check your condition. Apparently our senpais told them that you had a broken rib or something, but by the time they examined you...you were fine, albeit you still had bruises. A lot of bruises..."

He watched her as she spoke, noticing how her voice grew softer near the end. Was she that concerned for him? He had lived, hadn't he? Still, Minato couldn't disregard the strange fact that whatever he had broken had been healed. Had Orpheus done this for him? It was too much for him to think about at once, especially when he was still doubtful of whether that night had been a dream. Clearly, it wasn't a dream. And that non-dream had already taken ten days. "I'm fine now, right?" was his only comment.

Her face brightened up momentarily as she nodded, "Yeah! I'm really glad too. Even though only an hour has passed, I must've thought about that night at least over a hundred times! I remember...I remember that we had to face those...awful things. Yukari-chan and our senpais...they were counting on us, right? You were next to me when we picked up those guns, and we..." Minako swallowed when the image came to her mind, "...my memory seems to just skip to us pulling the triggers on each other. After that, I can only remember diving to the side with something I didn't know next to me. Yet, I...understood it. Was that the same with you and your...Orpheus?"

It was the same for him. Although he didn't openly admit it to her, his memories started and stopped at the points she described. Orpheus. Hearing her utter the name of his persona made him meet her bright crimson eyes finally, as he had been avoiding them before. Minato knew that the girl had a persona that had the same name as his. In fact, her persona seemed to just be the female variant of his own. "Yeah, it was the same. It was as if we formed a bond the moment he appeared, but...it was a familiar one," he smirked as he dropped his eyes from hers and looked to his toward the windows on his left, "If it wasn't for them...we really wouldn't have made it out alive."

It was a depressing thought, but Minako knew what he meant, "Yeah, we really have a lot to thank them for...but it's over now, right? I'm sure our senpais will explain to us what happened, and there's no way that things could get any worse than that night!"

"Optimistic girl..." He mumbled under his breath before turning back to her to find an apple in his face, "...what?"

Minako peered over the apple with those bright hues of her, "It's a job well done present! You need to regain your strength anyways! I've been peeling apples for a while now, so here; take a bite!" She urged him on as she leaned over the edge of the bed, holding the apple with both hands.

"No," he refused without hesitation.

"What, why not?! I'm sure you're still out of it because you just woke up, so don't tire yourself out! Do you not like apples or something? Or would you prefer the sliced ones?" There was no chance for him to get a word in, as she put the apple into the bowl before picking up a slice delicately with her slender fingers. Almost stabbing it at his face, Minako smiled as she held the bed rail with her other hand, "Say 'ahh.'"

"..." Minato scowled at the apple slice in front of him. He raised his hand to take it from her, but she quickly drew her hand back when he tried. Growling a bit, he shifted his eyes to the side, "I'm not a child. I can feed myself."

Letting out an annoyed sound, she prodded the slice at his cheek when he turned away, clearly determined, "I've never heard of a guy who would turn down a girl offering to feed him... You're a weird one, aren't you? You shouldn't be so cold to someone who's being so nice to you, you know."

"I never asked for you to be nice to me," he retorted, ignoring her prods. _Calling me the weird one..._

Narrowing her eyes, Minako sighed as felt like she should give up trying to stick around when he was so against the notion. As she was pulling her hand back, she got a good look at his face while staying quiet. _He's always like this..._ No matter how much she tried to be his friend, he always rejected her. He was constantly trying to keep his distance from her. She already knew that he referred to her as 'that annoyance' to others. Had he ever called her by her name?

_Minako!_

Blinking, the auburn haired girl let a small smile grace her lips before she moved her hand up, pushing the apple slice against his cheek again, "Eat, Minato-kun."

_Minato-kun?!_ He turned to give her a sharp look, but he only found a warm, beaming smile in return. Did she not get it? Minato figured it would be clear by now that he didn't want anything to do with her, even if they did live in the same dorm. Even if they were both involved in the same mess. Sighing, he yielded, "You're ridiculous, you know that?" Begrudgingly, he leaned forward to take a bite.

The door to his room opened.

Biting half off, his blue eyes looked toward the doorway to find brown eyes looking back at him. Minato jerked back in an instant, and as the girl next to him had her attention drawn to the door, he snatched the remaining half from her hands and threw it in his mouth.

"Oh? Already getting comfortable with each other so soon after waking up, hm~?" Yukari teased, as she closed the door behind her before walking over to them.

Minako took a moment before realizing what Yukari had seen and suddenly went from that hyper, optimistic girl to a timid one. Bringing her hands back into her lap, her cheeks reddened slightly while she sat back a little in her chair, "Y-Yukari-chan! I-I...um...we...M-Minato-kun – "

"Minato-kun, huh?" Yukari grinned as she looked from her stuttering friend to the one in bed, "I didn't know you two were already that close."

Swallowing as he finished chewing, Minato let out an aggravated grumble, "I didn't tell her she could call me that...but you should know by now, Yukari. This girl is always in her own world, a world filled with candy and ice cream. Even if I tell her to stop, she'll just disregard it and call me that anyways."

"Yeah, that sounds about right. She is a little ditzy, isn't she? I'm always worried she'll walk into walls and let herself get taken advantage of," agreed Yukari, giving a light-hearted giggle. Although they hadn't known each other for very long, it seemed natural for them to act as though they had.

"Y-Yukari-chan!"

"I'm just kidding, Nako-chan. Although...I think that would be one of your cutest traits," Yukari giggled again before sighing, settling her hands behind her. "Well, I didn't come here to poke fun at you two. I meant to come here and speak to you both alone when you woke up, but I guess this is alright too. I just wanted to say..." Yukari's eyes had lost their playful look as she gave a slight bow, "I'm sorry."

Lowering his eyelids, Minato watched her bow, "...for what?"

"For...For everything," Yukari stood up straight again, exchanging looks with the two of them. "The power you two used...we call them 'Personas.' And those creatures you defeated are Shadows – our enemy. We'll explain everything later, but... Even though I knew, I kept it from the two of you. Not only that, I...I read about you two beforehand, and I'm...kind of like you two."

Tilting her head, Minako looked a bit concerned, "What do you mean?"

"My dad...died in an accident when I was little, and my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms," Yukari looked uncomfortable speaking about her situation, but she seemed to look hopefully into their eyes, as if searching for comfort, "You two are both alone too, right? It didn't seem fair that I already knew about your pasts, so I wanted you to know mine." Pausing, the light brown haired girl took a deep breath before continuing, "It was back in '99. There was a big explosion in the area, and my dad supposedly died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened. He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group, so I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why I was there when this happened to the two of you. Of course, I panicked and wasn't much help... It was my first time fighting them too, but if I wasn't such a coward, I could have prevented you two from getting hurt like that..."

"It's not your fault," the blue eyed boy replied. Even though he thought he had put the past behind him, it was still a rather painful thought to think about his parents.

Nodding, Minako tried reassuring her friend, "Don't worry. I was scared, too." Losing one's parents was never something to forget, but she always told herself that she needed to move forward. Otherwise, she would have been engulfed by her misery.

"...really? But still..." Yukari took a moment to recollect herself before nodding, smiling at the two of them with a tilt of her head, "Thanks for listening, you two. I've wanted to share that story with someone that could understand for a long time now." Giving a small bow again, the two could tell that she really did look like a small burden was a lifted from her shoulders, "Anyways, I should get going. I'll let the others know that you two are awake. You two take it easy, okay? Make sure to call the nurses for anything; they'll be sure to take care of you. Bye!" With that, she gave a wave before leaving the room.

It became silent again in that room.

Minato reached over and grabbed the half peeled apple from the bowl, "Hey." Catching her attention, he tossed it to her when she turned. She scrambled to catch it. "Go back to your room already. I'm sure you're just making the doctors and nurses worry by staying in this room for so long." He didn't want the mood to be set by what they were just told by Yukari.

She flushed with embarrassment again, "Wh-What do you mean by that?"

Minato sighed, "Just go back to your room." He suddenly took another look at what she was wearing, "Why're you even wearing your school uniform anyways?"

"O-Oh!" The auburn haired girl looked down at herself before giving a nervous laugh, "My school uniform was in the room I was in, so I changed into it. A-And...well, what I was wearing was a little bit too...revealing for me to walk around the hallways."

"You shouldn't worry about things like that when there's nothing interesting to look at."

The apple flew at his head. Ducking just in time, Minato watched as it crumbled after slamming into the wall behind him. Looking back over to her, he raised his blue hues to see her standing, holding the bowl of sliced apples in her hands. Without another thought, the contents of the bowl was dumped on him. It certainly didn't hurt, but it wasn't exactly a pleasant feeling. The plastic bowl bounced off his head when it was thrown down at him, and it dropped to the floor with a clatter. Without a word, he watched the auburn haired girl storm out of his room with the slam of the door.

"..." Minato stayed silent as he looked at his bed, littered with apple slices. _How many damn apples did she peel?_ Reaching over to the table, he clicked the button to call for the nurse.

"I...may have made a mess."

* * *

Yukari met the two at the school entrance with a wave, "Mornin'! Glad to see you two up and about."

Minako was slightly turned away from the blue jerk as she nodded, "Yeah, I'm doing just fine this morning!"

_She still angry about yesterday?_ The blue haired boy shrugged a bit as he nodded a greeting to Yukari.

"I thought you two were finally starting to get along with each other," Yukari sighed a bit before grabbing their attention again, "Hey, sorry to add this to your worries, but...Ikutsuki-san wants to talk to you both today. Come to the 4th floor of the dorm after school, okay? Don't forget."

Minako only nodded and walked into the school, not giving a second glance to either of them.

"...What did you say to her this time?" Yukari asked, giving the blue haired boy a dangerous look.

Minato looked away a bit nervously, "...Probably something a girl never wants to hear."

* * *

"Mud huts."

"That's correct. Mud huts were built by digging a hole in the ground and..." the teacher continued giving his lecture.

Junpei frowned, "Hey...! I answered right, and I don't get any credit? Tch... Oh well. Thanks, Minato."

The blue haired boy could already hear the whispers around him. One correct answer meant he was smart, huh? _Idiots..._ Glancing to the side momentarily, he saw the auburn haired girl looking the opposite direction, trying to both ignore him and not pay attention to class. Sighing, he closed his eyes as he rested his head on his arms, falling back asleep for the rest of the class.

* * *

It was a quiet walk back to the dorm.

Minato trailed behind the auburn haired girl with his hands in his pockets. She still hadn't said a word to him ever since they parted the day before. Was she trying to guilt him into apologizing? Although he certainly didn't feel guilty, the atmosphere they walked in was getting irritating. While she spoke and he stayed quiet previously, it was now just silence between them. Normally, it would've been fine if it was like that, but the longer she stayed angry at him... Minato knew he'd be getting a scolding from one of his senpais. Or even Yukari.

"Oi, how long are – "

"I'm not speaking to you," she answered in a flat tone before she visibly picked up her pace.

Now she was just trying to provoke him...and it was working. An irked sigh escaped his lips as he picked up the pace as well, muttering a few foul words about 'that annoyance' while putting his earphones on, "Let her be someone else's problem, then..."

* * *

After signing in, the two students ascended to the fourth floor of the dormitory, albeit separately. Coming into the room one after the other, the bright-eyed girl sat down next to Yukari on the sofa as the cool-eyed boy took a seat near the opposite corner of her.

"Glad to have you two join us tonight," Ikutsuki greeted before giving them both a smile from his armchair, "I'm glad that you're both okay. I wasn't sure what I'd do if anything had happened. The reason I asked you two here is because I needed to talk with you both."

_Figures..._ Minato just looked off to the side, expecting a lecture for being reckless or anything of the sort.

"Oh, before that," Ikutsuki motioned to the silver haired student who sat near Mitsuru, "I believe I mentioned him before, but this is Akihiko. I know you've already...met, but this is a more appropriate greeting, isn't it?"

Akihiko smirked with a confident smile, looking much more healthy than he had been that night, "How ya doin'?" It looked like he healed most of the injuries he sustained as well.

Before either of them gave a greeting in return, Ikutsuki started speaking again, "Okay, let me start off by asking you this... Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than twenty-four hours?"

Her bright, crimson eyes widened a bit at the thought, looking toward the sophisticated gentleman, "...Excu – "

"Yeah," Minato just felt the simple word slip from his lips before he realized he had uttered it. All eyes were now on him. Blinking, he shook his head, "Uh...wait, I meant...no. I...that's kind of a crazy thing to say, you know?" He tried to play it off as that damned sensation came back to him. It was stronger than before, and now every time he made eye contact with Ikutsuki, he couldn't help but feel anger slowly swelling up within him. Minato made sure to cast his blue hues elsewhere to try and calm his down, "Sorry, go ahead and continue."

Mitsuru exchanged looks with Ikutsuki before nodding, "Well, do you remember the night you came here? You had to have noticed the signs..." She made small gestures with her hand while she sat with a leg crossed over the other, "The streetlights went out... Nothing was working... There were coffins everywhere... Didn't it feel like you were in a different time...? That's the Dark Hour – a time period hidden between one day and the next."

For the first time since the day before, Minako quickly glanced at the blue haired boy before asking curiously, "Hidden?"

"Normal people don't realize it, since they're all sleeping inside their coffins. It happens every Dark Hour...which occurs each night at midnight," Akihiko explained while moving a gloved hand over the band-aid above his left eye and across his cheek, "But that's not the only thing. Those creatures; we call them 'Shadows.' They only appear during the Dark Hour and attack anyone not in a coffin. It's our job to defeat them, and – "

Mitsuru cleared her throat to interrupt Akihiko's momentum, "Don't get too excited, Akihiko. You're hurt and will not be returning to the field anytime soon. Do you understand me?" It was clear that Mitsuru was the commanding voice within the group.

"Anyways, long story short..." Ikutsuki cut in again, "We're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad – SEES for short. On paper, we're classified as a school club, but in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows. Mitsuru is the leader, and I'm the club advisor."

Words spoken with kindness. Still, he could not relieve himself of that tension whenever he looked at Ikutsuki. He wasn't seeing two of him this time, luckily, but it was replaced with a throbbing headache. He could feel his mind reaching out, desperately trying to grasp something that clearly wasn't there. When did it become like this? "SEES, huh..." Minato whispered the group name under his breath as his eyes still rested on the floor."

The redhead uncrossed her legs as she reached down to grab a case and put it on the table in the middle of them all, "A Shadow feeds on the mind of its prey; the victim becoming a living corpse. They're responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them. Few are able to function during the Dark Hour; even fewer awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows. That power being...a Persona." Mitsuru paused for a moment before opening the case, revealing two silver guns on opposite corners of the case. "We'd like you two to lend us your strength; we'd like you both to join us. We've already prepared these Evokers for you two."

Minako made no hesitation as she reached out and took the Evoker closest to her. Holding the silver gun in one hand, she couldn't take her eyes off of it as she nodded, "Alright. You can count on me! I'll do anything to help!"

Yukari sighed in relief, "I was afraid you'd say no... Welcome aboard!" It was then that she looked toward Minato, who was just staring at the remaining Evoker. "...Minato?"

Breaking out of his thoughts, he nodded, trying to reassure them that he was alright, but exhaustion dwelled within his blue hues as he reached out and took a hold of his own Evoker. "I have no objections to joining," he spoke while trying to conceal the fact that his headache was getting worse.

"Thank you so much," Ikutsuki's voice rang out over the others again, "I'm really glad. Oh, and I mentioned your proper room assignment before, didn't I? Why don't you two just stay here in your current rooms?" The other members of SEES nodded, agreeing with the idea.

In that instant, time seemed to pause for a moment as a single card appeared before them with the Fool Arcana. It disappeared almost immediately, but faint sensation of strength surged through them before they returned to normal.

"...You two should head to bed and get some rest. I'm sure not all of the exhaustion has left you just yet," Mitsuru's voice broke through the silence that had filled the air in those few moments.

Blinking, Minato realized that everything was resuming normally as the other SEES members began moving again. _The Fool Arcana...? Was this what that old man was talking about? _His thoughts didn't last long as he was far too tired to organize his thoughts. As he stood up, he caught the auburn haired girl's attention before he moved to return to his dorm, "Night." Everyone just nodded or said the same in return.

Once he was out of the room, the bright-eyed girl jumped to her feet despite being exhausted. That hospital stay must have really had an effect on her. She would have blamed the card appearing out of thin air on her exhaustion had she not already experienced stranger things. "I think I'm going to head to bed too. It's getting late, and...I just can't seem to keep my eyes open for that long tonight..." She gave a smile before waving at everyone, "Good night, everyone~!" Leaving for her bedroom, it didn't take long before she pushed herself into her room and collapsed on her bed.

* * *

"_How long has it been since we first met? Time passes so quickly."_

…?

"_It's coming because there are many people who wish for it..."_

This voice...

Minato opened his eyes slowly and sat up, briefly looking around his room. It had that slight tint of green to it, which meant it must have been the Dark Hour now. He continued to look to his left, as if expecting something or someone to be there. He honestly didn't understand why he awoke so randomly in the middle of the night like that, but this kind of sensation was similar to what he had felt before. That strange expectation. Grumbling to himself, he pulled the sheets over himself again as his head hit the pillow, trying to ignore his own thoughts before slipping away into a slumber.

"_...as if it was destined from the start."_

* * *

.::|| I'm so sorry for the wait on this chapter. I traveled to Nara this past weekend, so I couldn't work on it then. Today was also my last day of finals, haha. It's a little rushed, but hopefully it's a decent chapter. I actually haven't slept for the past thirty-six hours, so...my writing and proofreading is probably...very lackluster at the moment. This chapter is a lot of setting up for the story again, but I promise it'll open up much more once most of the key information has been given. Also, thanks for the supportive reviews from both fanfiction users and guests! It's always great to see people enjoy my writing. Count on seeing the next chapter coming out sooner than this one had!


	7. Chapter 06: Leadership

**Chapter 06: Leadership**

Cherry blossom petals fluttered past the two as they made their way to school. There was a spring in the auburn girl's step as she held her bag with both hands in front of her. Even though she was followed closely behind by the blue jerk listening to his music, she tried to not let it ruin the beautiful day. Minako honestly didn't know why she even bothered walking to school with him anymore.

As they approached the entrance to the school courtyard, Yukari waved over to them as the girls she was talking with walked into the school, "Morning!" She gave a smile that Minako returned, "I hope you both got a good night's sleep! Oh, and by the way, thanks for joining yesterday. Akihiko-senpai's injured, more than he lets on, and I was really uneasy about working alone with Mitsuru-senpai."

"Leave it to me!" chirped the bright-eyed girl with determined eyes, "We'll be an unstoppable team even without the senpais!"

Minato walked past the two, scoffing, "I feel like we're in more danger when I know you're leading the blind charge."

Glaring at the blue jerk's back for a moment, she swung her attention back to Yukari, "Don't listen to that jerk. We'll just leave him behind while we defeat all the shadows together!"

Yukari gave a small laugh, enjoying her friend's enthusiasm, before walking with Minako toward the school, "Yeah, we can definitely do it if we're together! Also...just out of curiosity, why are you two always at each other's throats? I thought you had finally become friends when I saw you two together in the hospital, but..."

Minako raised a clenched fist as she remembered that moment, "He was being a jerk like always even though I was trying to be so nice to him...and then he had the audacity to say something like _that_ to me! Doesn't he have any manners?! He went way too far with that...and then, he doesn't even try to apologize or – "

The auburn haired girl continued to complain to Yukari till they reached the classroom.

* * *

Yukari yawned while she walked over to both of their desks, stretching her arms over her head, "I thought I was gonna fall asleep in there..."

"You better be careful; you're becoming more and more like Junpei," replied Minato, standing up from his desk while looking down at his music player.

A frightened expression appeared on her face for a moment before raising and shaking her hand in the air, "H-Hey, don't try and freak me out like that. Lumping me in the same group as that idiot...ugh, it gives me the shivers."

The door to their classroom opened and Mitsuru walked in, drawing their, and the other students', attention. "Can I have a minute?" Stopping in front of the three, she seemed impervious to the stares from her admirers in the classroom, "Come to the lounge when you get back to the dorm. I have something to tell everyone. I'll save the details for later. See you there." Without waiting for a response, she nodded and left as soon as she was done.

"That was fast..." said Minako as she gathered her books and stood up next to the other two.

Yukari gave an exasperated sighed as she gave a small shrug, "She's probably busy with things like Student Council, unlike us."

"Whoa, Yuka-tan! Do I sense some hostility?" Out of nowhere, Junpei came over to them, clearly having listened in on them after Mitsuru appeared.

Looking over at the idiot in the cap, Yukari gave another small sigh "Well, it's not like I don't like her... She's just..." It was difficult for her to describe, and she was grasping for the right words before she shook her head, giving a miffed look at Junpei, "N-Nevermind. Let's go, Nako-chan." Minako only glanced at the Junpei before nodding, following Yukari out, who was walking rather quickly.

"Uh...did I say something wrong?" Junpei looked to Minato, giving a dumbfounded expression.

Minato finally decided on a song before he pulled up his earphones. "At this rate, that girl's going to lump me in with you..." he muttered before sighing, letting the music fill his ears as he set his earphones into place.

"What?" Clearly Junpei was just getting even more confused.

Giving a wave of his hand, Minato moved to the door, "Don't worry about it."

* * *

At the Iwatodai Strip Mall, Yukari finally spoke up after being rather silent for a while, "A-About earlier... It's not that I don't like her or anything, y'know?" She blinked before quickly adding, "O-Oh, I'm talking about Mitsuru-senpai..."

"I-It's okay, Yukari-chan. You don't have to explain yourself. Let's...talk about something else, okay?" Minako tried to change the subject, seeing as how the current topic was giving Yukari some troubles.

The brunette felt like she was thinking about this too much, that she was being too defensive about this. Giving a groan, she changed her focus to something else, "...Why's Junpei always have to talk about stuff that isn't any of his business, huh?! Plus, he says it all in the creepiest, most perverted way. He's like the poster boy for sexual harassment. You know, last year he..."

They continued to gossip all the way back to the dorm.

* * *

Minato opened the door to the command room on the fourth floor, seeing Yukari and the other girl just starting to sit down by the table. Closing the door behind him, he found a seat while nodding to his senpais.

"Welcome back," greeted Mitsuru.

Akihiko gave a small nod as he smirked, "We were waiting for you. Now that we're all here, there's someone I want to introduce to you all."

"Huh?" Yukari was a bit surprised at the sudden news.

Akihiko looked over to the door and said in a louder voice, "Hey, hurry up."

The sound of something dragging along the floor could be heard before a strained voice came from behind the door, "Hold your horses... This is freakin' heavy!" A sigh followed those words before the door opened, and a male wearing a Gekkoukan High uniform and a baseball cap walked in with a wide grin on his face.

"Wazzup?" chuckled Junpei.

Widening her eyes, Yukari stood up, "J-Junpei?! Why are YOU here?!"

"This is Junpei Iori from Class 2-F. He'll be staying here as of today," explained Akihiko.

Yukari couldn't keep her voice down, "He's staying HERE?! You've gotta be kidding me!"

"I bumped into him the other night. He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently..." continued Akihiko, "I told him about us, and he agreed to help."

The other two recent additions to the team were hardly as surprised as the brunette, "You have the potential?! For real?!"

Junpei cleared his throat, "W-Well, he found me cryin' like a baby at the convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins. I don't remember much, but...man, that's embarrassing!" He found the nerve to give a wide grin again, "He said that's, ya know, completely normal...in the beginning. Like, bein' confused and not remembering anything. Did ya guys know that?"

Minako glanced at the blue jerk, who only shrugged, before shaking her head, "W-Well, I was okay, though...for the most part."

"Heeey, don't feel bad! It happens to all us Persona-users!" Junpei moved further into the room to by one of the open seats, "But man, I was shocked to find out about you guys. I'm glad I'm not the only one; it could get kinda lonely, ya know. I bet you're stoked too, right?! Havin' me join?"

Yukari finally sat down again, looking away from the idiot, "Uh, y-yeah..."

"Anyways, glad to join the team! I heard that Akihiko-senpai was injured, so I bet you're relieved to hear you've got my manpower backing you up, right?"

Minako gave nervous laugh before nodding, "Let's do our best!"

He threw up his thumb, pointing at himself as he gave a confident laugh, "You can count on me!"

"Well, enough with the introductions. I think we're about ready..." Akihiko interrupted the flow of the conversation as Ikutsuki walked into the room.

Pushing up his glasses, the sophisticated gentleman crossed his arms as he stood in front of them all, "Glad to see everyone's here. I'd like your undivided attention," he paused for a moment before continuing, "For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had, but now that number has jumped to six. Therefore, starting tonight at 12:00 A.M., I'd like to commence the exploration of Tartarus."

Junpei raised a brow, "Tartarus? What's that?"

"You can think of it as a Shadow nest. It's the perfect place for us to train..." Akihiko answered, smirking at the thought of it.

Mitsuru quickly cut in, "Since Akihiko hasn't fully recovered yet, he'll only come as far as the entrance. He is forbidden from doing any kind of fighting that may worsen his injuries. I hope I'm clear?"

Akihiko closed his eyes and nodded, "...Yeah, yeah. I know."

Ikutsuki cleared his throat and finished, "Anyways, I leave you, Mitsuru, to lead them to Tartarus. I'll stay here, as I can't summon a Persona..."

* * *

Just as the group of six reached the Gekkoukan High School front gate, midnight struck. As the world turned that sickening green color, the building that had once been their school began to transform into something much larger. Growing into the sky, it became a contorted tower that seemed to reach for the moon.

As it finished changing, Junpei had an expression of disbelief, "What...What happened to our school?! Why'd our school turn into a giant tower?!"

"This is Tartarus – the labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour. Once the Dark Hour passes, everything returns to normal. As for why our school changes into this...I'm afraid I don't know," Mitsuru answered with a solemn expression.

Akihiko started walking toward the entrance, motioning for the others to follow, "Maybe now we'll find out. Mitsuru and I have only taken a peek inside; this will be our first time exploring it. Exciting, isn't it?"

"Akihiko, you do know that you won't – " started Mitsuru.

The male student gave a wave of his hand, "I know, I know. You don't have to remind me."

Mitsuru sighed before following him into the tower with Junpei and Yukari following soon after.

The breeze had picked up slightly as the blue haired boy stood, gazing up at the overwhelming tower. He had been silent for a while now, but he was rather surprised at himself not letting any of these recent events get to him. In fact, he almost felt like they were pieces to the puzzle he was unintentionally trying to finish.

"Hey!" Minako waved her hand in front of his eyes, breaking him out of his trance, "You shouldn't let your mind wander like that, you know." She held her hands on her hips, knowing that she couldn't let her anger get the best of her at this dangerous time of night. "Anyways, let's go in and – " She reached for his hand, but they both withdrew their hands the moment they touched and took a step back. Blinking, she gave a nervous laugh as she rubbed her hand slowly, "Th-That...was some kind of electric shock..." Was it an electric shock? While she blamed it on that, the image that had come with the shock was nothing short of frightening. Swallowing, she turned around and started off toward the tower, "C-Come on! We shouldn't keep our senpais waiting." Was it because she was angry at him? _Still...there's no way I would've thought of..._ Picturing that image again sent shivers down her spine.

Crucified.

Clenching his hand in front of him, the blue haired boy wondered what that shock had been. In fact, the tingling sensation still lingered in his fingertips. He refused to believe it had just been because that annoying girl had touched her. Oddly enough, it was a feeling of great sorrow and sadness, one that had overwhelmed him for that one moment they touched each other. No explanation came with those emotions, and he struggled to keep himself intact until the feelings left him entirely. It was then that he heard himself panting, trying to catch his breath as he watched the auburn haired girl walk off toward the tower. Shaking his head, he tried to cast aside any worries while he moved toward the tower as well. With more important matters at hand, he didn't want to think of depressing thoughts like that.

Emptiness.

As the two entered, they could hear Mitsuru's voice echo in the enormous lobby room, "...labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs. We'll be having you four get a feel for this place, but don't worry. We're not asking you to go very far, and I'll be feeding you information from here."

"By ourselves?" Yukari had a worried expression on her face, "B-But...will just feeding us information be enough? I mean, this is our first time here, and you don't know what else could be inside there! And...and...!"

Akihiko faced Yukari and spoke in a reassuring voice, "Don't worry so much, Takeba. I'm sure it'll be fine, especially when there're four of you to look after each other's backs. Anyways, we'll also appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions while you're all inside."

"For real?" Junpei's eyes lit up as he stepped in front of both of his senpais, "One of us? Oh! Oh! Me! Me! Pick me!"

As much as Akihiko seemed to appreciate Junpei's enthusiasm, his eyes eventually fell onto the two that had just recently entered, "You two. You're both in charge, so keep an eye out for each other."

"Wha...? Two leaders? And why them?!" Junpei asked incredulously.

Yukari joined the conversation after having looked around the room, "Well, they HAVE fought them before. In fact, if it wasn't for them, I'm not sure how things would have turned out that night..."

"That's true, but there's another reason. You two..." Akihiko looked at Junpei and Yukari, "Can you summon your Persona without any difficulties, like they can?" They both gave an unconvincing mumble of an answer before Akihiko nodded, "Remember, these are Shadows we're talking about. Without your Persona, you're screwed."

Yukari only nodded, "I'm...I'm well aware of that."

"All right, let's head inside. Are you two ready?" Akihiko turned to the other two members of the party to find them having already meandered toward the corner of the lobby. Raising a brow, he called out to them, "Hey. What's the matter?"

* * *

Opening her bright, crimson eyes, Minako almost fell over as she suddenly found herself in the Velvet Room. "Whoa! I...I didn't think that'd work, but then the key started shining and was sucked into the keyhole and..." She realized that she was being loud and covered her mouth with one hand before giving an apologetic bow with her eyes shut to the familiar old man behind the table. "I-I'm sorry, I was being – "

"You're always loud, aren't you? No matter where you are," his voice came in that usual rude tone.

_N-No way..._ She turned her head to the right, while still in her bow, and slowly opened her eyes to find the blue jerk standing there in his usual stance: leaning back with hands in his pockets. Standing straight up, she pointed her finger at him, "Wh-What are you doing here?!"

Minato hadn't realized that he approached the door at the same time as the girl, but he could see that she was indeed the other guest Igor had spoken of. "I'm a guest of this room, just like you, I suppose. Although I feel as if you're already overstaying your welcome. You might be becoming a bother with that loud mouth of yours."

He was even trying to pick a fight in her dream-like place! Glowering at him, Minako crossed her arms before facing forward again, settling her eyes on the old man who had been waiting patiently while they bickered.

"...I've been waiting for you two. You're both quite...lively together, aren't you?" Igor commented before giving one of those rather trademark smiles. Just plain creepy. "The time has come for you two to wield your power. The tower that you are about to venture into... How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist? Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions, which is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power."

Minako only gave the blue jerk another glare before speaking, "The nature of our powers?"

"Your power is unique. It's like the number zero," started Igor, "It's empty, but at the same time holds infinite possibilities. You are able to possess multiple Personas and summon them as needed. Your power will grow accordingly as you grasp different possibilities. Be sure to keep that in mind." He took a moment to make sure that their attention wasn't drawn away by the other, "My spare time will soon be scarce. But, please come again of your own accord. Ah, and before I forget...I should tell you that while you may not be able to recall their names, they shall heed your calling nevertheless. After all, you two were the only ones that had achieved such a feat..." Before they could question him about the meaning behind his words, he gave a wave of his hand as the door opened, "Until then... Farewell."

* * *

"Hey, are you alright?" Yukari's voice break their trance as the two stepped away from each other, both trying to gain their bearings.

Junpei took a hold of Minato's shoulders to keep him steady, "Yeah, what's up? You two looked like you were zombies."

Minako gave a nervous laugh, "R-Really? A zombie?" She moved a hand over Yukari's, which rested on her shoulder, to reassure her that she was okay.

"That's what you pick to dwell on?!" Junpei honestly had no idea what had gone on between the two of them when they stared at nothing like that. It was clear to the two, as they exchanged glances, that the others couldn't see the door that was right in front of them.

Yukari started to move toward the stairs before swallowing nervously, "Anyways, let's go. We shouldn't wait too long or the Dark Hour might end before we at least take a look inside."

Regrouping themselves at the top of the stairs, the four held their weapons firmly, nervous as to what was on the other side. The auburn haired girl glanced at the blue jerk before entering first, and she was quickly followed by Minato. Junpei hesitated for a moment, but Yukari pushed him in before going in right after. Only Mitsuru and Akihiko was left in the lobby at the bottom of the stairs.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" Mitsuru asked as she readied herself to provide assistance to the group.

Akihiko smirked as he looked up at the door, "What, are you worried?"

"I should be, but no. I'm oddly confident in their ability despite them being introduced to all of this so suddenly. Especially the two Arisatos," she paused before looking over at the silver haired student, "Why did you decide to have them both be the leader? From the way they've been acting around each other, I can only see problems arising from that decision."

He smirked as he ran a hand over his injury, thinking about that question himself, "It's difficult to say. Perhaps it's just as you said. My confidence in those two is oddly high...so I couldn't choose. I felt as if they'd both make great field leaders, although I can see them going for each other's necks at every decision. Maybe this will be a good learning experience for the two of them?"

"Let's hope it doesn't get them hurt in the long run..." Mitsuru murmured to herself as she finally connected to the group inside.

* * *

"Can you all hear me?" Mitsuru's voice rang out in their ears.

Junpei jumped a bit before recognizing that voice, "Wh-Whoa, is that you, Senpai?"

"I'll be providing audio backup from here on out. It's my Persona's ability to grant sight of the floors in there. I'd like to join you, but the structure of Tartarus changes from day to day. That's why outside support is imperative." There was a pause as Mitsuru did a quick scan of the first floor they were on, "Now, based on your current location, you can expect to encounter enemies at any minute. They shouldn't be too tough, but proceed with caution. Practice makes perfect."

They voiced their understanding before they heard the communication link dropping. Yukari sighed as she moved slowly with the group, mumbling under her breath, "Why is she always like that...?"

The auburn haired girl held her naginata carefully as she walked alongside the blue jerk carrying a short sword. "Enemies at any minute, huh? You don't think they could be...as difficult as the one on the roof, do you?" Although she didn't want to ask him anything, she conceded to the fact that they needed to at least work together in that deadly tower.

Minato said nothing as he kept an eye out for any Shadows. It felt...odd. Even though it was just the first floor, it was a new, and dangerous, experience for him, so it should have been natural for him to be on edge. But it was a different kind of uneasiness that troubled him. Aside from their footsteps, it was quieter than he could have imagined. He almost hoped for a Shadow to appear to break that disturbing silence.

Grabbing his sleeve, the bright eyed girl stopped the male leader in his tracks, "Hey, I can't be the only one talking here. We're both leading, so you need to communicate with me. It's also...unnerving when you just walk silently like that..."

He shook her off as she expressed her concern, keeping his eyes forward, "Just worry about yourself." Stepping ahead past the corner, he was stopped again by the girl grabbing his sleeve. "Listen, if you want to play leader, then lead the other two. You're just getting in my way."

Holding the naginata with one hand, the female leader gripped his sleeve even tighter, "You always act like a jerk even when people try to be nice to you. Can't you at least pretend to cooperate when we're in a situation like this?!"

Narrowing his eyes, he turned to her, looking down to meet her frustrated gaze. "I'm fine with everyone but you," he growled, yanking his arm away from her hold, "Stop trying trying so hard to include me. You're only wasting your time."

Yukari sighed as she stepped between them, pushing them slightly apart, "Can we not do this here? This is probably the worst place we want to have an argument like this."

Her bright crimson hues never left his blue ones. She could tell that he was trying to be as difficult as possible, but she just couldn't understand why. For what reason did he want to keep that wall between them? Before she could say anything more, she felt a tremor beneath her feet.

"Wh-What the hell?!" Junpei looked down as he tightened his grip on the katana, "What's going on?!"

The communication link established itself before Mitsuru's voice rang through, "Be on guard! Something's...off. I had sensed enemies before, but then they disappeared...and now, I can sense a mass of enemies coming your way! Not only that, but...impossible! A Shadow with that kind of strength can't be found on this floor! Minako, Arisato, find the access point. Just clear what Shadows are in your way and get yourselves out of there!" As the shaking of the floor grew stronger, the communication link dropped.

Minato looked back from where they came from to see the dead end they had appeared in. As he looked around the corner and into the hallway ahead of them, he could make out the sound of heavy footsteps coming from the right. If there really was a giant mass of Shadows coming their way, they couldn't fight it in the tight corridors like that. While funneling the enemies into them seemed like a decent plan, it would be incredibly problematic if they were as large and powerful as the one on the rooftop. They needed room to maneuver if anything. Stepping into the hallway, he turned to the others, but the girl had the same realization as he did.

"If they're coming from the right, let's head left. Even if we can't find the access point or whatever that way, then we can maybe find a bigger area to fight in! We'll get overpowered easily if it's big enough to run right through us." Minako motioned for Junpei and Yukari to run before settling her crimson hues on the other leader. No words were exchanged between the two as she just narrowed her eyes and chased after the other two.

Glancing behind him one last time, the male leader also ran after the others. It was obvious to him that they were not going to have an easy time leading the group when he couldn't help but make remarks and snap angrily at the girl. He couldn't really understand it himself. She was an eyesore, and that was all there was to it. Or so he wanted to believe. Honestly, he wasn't even sure what he felt toward her was irritation, but he certainly became agitated whenever he tried speaking with her. Or whenever he was just around her. Minato broke out of his thoughts as he stopped behind the group as they stood in a large room with no other path.

"A dead end, huh?" Yukari bit her lower lip as she tried to keep herself calm in that situation.

Junpei wasn't handling it as well as the brunette, "Oh, hell no! I thought it wasn't going to be dangerous on the first damn floor! Why hasn't Senpai contacted us again?! Damn it!"

"Calm down, Junpei!" Minako tried to quiet him down as she constantly glanced back into the hallway to see if whatever was coming had reached them yet. "We can't panic now, okay? I know it's looking bleak, but it'll be alright! Trust me." She leaned the naginata against her shoulder as she reached up to Junpei's shoulder with her free hand, "I'm counting on you to be the manpower you promised us, so please count on me on getting you out of here safely."

He took a deep breath before nodding, "A-Alright. I'm...I'm counting on you, and don't worry, I'll have your back the entire – "

Minako pushed Junpei before jumping back herself, feeling a massive form rush past where they had just been and slamming into the wall of the large room. Yukari had dropped back out of the way while the blue haired boy had come in front to shield her. Junpei was still staggering back before he steadied himself on his feet, looking at the huge human-like figure against the wall. A moment passed before it pulled itself out of the wall and turned to them, revealing a small mask on its head.

"H-Holy hell... That thing's a Shadow?! It looks more like a huge ass wrestler to me!" Junpei let his mouth run before he dropped down, ducking underneath the huge arm of the Shadow as it rushed by him, smashing against the wall again.

Getting onto her feet, Yukari brought up her bow, but she didn't aim at the large Shadow. Instead, she notched two arrows and fired them down the hallway. The arrows drove themselves into two masks, invoking a high pitched squeal that echoed through the hallway. "Looks like the rest of them aren't like that big one there." She narrowed her eyes as she took a few steps toward the hallway, notching another arrow, "What should we do?"

The auburn haired girl had no time to be impressed with how calm her friend was in comparison to the rooftop situation. She took a quick glance at the blue jerk before bringing up her naginata, "Junpei, Yukari! Both of you handle anything coming down the hallway." Junpei scrambled to his feet and joined Yukari near the opening to the hallway. "Minato-kun and I will – "

"Don't call me that," interrupted Minato, stopping next to the girl as he drew his Evoker in his left hand.

She couldn't help but smile when he joined her. Even if he was a jerk, his presence in a battle kept her at ease, just like that time on the rooftop. "I remember you saying that you couldn't stop me from doing so anyways," retaliated Minako, holding her naginata with both hands while readying herself to draw her own Evoker when needed.

Static chimed in just as the Shadow pulled itself from the wall and turned to the two. "Ca-...-ear me?" The voice broke up once more before Mitsuru's voice became clearer "Can you hear me? Something was hindering my Persona's abilities earlier, but I've broken through finally. Please be careful of that particular Shadow! It is much, much stronger than any of the other ones you will find on that floor! It's...a Steel Gigas."

Even as Mitsuru warned them, their eyes were unwavering as they felt the unbelievable pressure of the stronger opponent.

Bracing himself, Minato smirked, "Still...I don't think this was as frightening as that rooftop battle."

"I said we'd be an unstoppable team. There's no way we can lose so soon!" Minako confidently declared.

And the Steel Gigas charged at the two.

* * *

.::|| This was meant to be a shorter chapter to quickly end their first night in Tartarus, but after reading it over, I decided to add a battle scene. I rewrote the last half and will most likely finish their first night in Tartarus along with a few other events in the next chapter, which I think most will enjoy if the scene between Minako and Minato in the hospital room was enjoyable. Not too many comments on this one except I'm still trying to fit a lot of necessary game events in. It just doesn't feel right if I skip over them. Anyways, thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 07: Tenacity

**Chapter 07: Tenacity**

The blade of the naginata met the Steel Gigas's chest, only to slide across it with a scraping sound rather than piercing it. Clenching her teeth, the auburn haired girl weaved underneath the assaulting arm and pulled her weapon with her, moving to the other side quickly. She turned around in time to see the blue haired boy swing his sword against the arm aimed at him, forcing it to deviate from its path and narrowly missing his head.

"It's pretty speedy for something that sounds damn heavy..." Minato growled as he stepped back toward the girl, never letting his eyes leave his opponent. "Let's hope Orpheus can withstand its strength," he added before bringing his Evoker to his head. For a moment, he wondered if it would work when it hadn't been he who had pulled the trigger last time. It had been the girl who forced his Persona out of him. Still, as he narrowed his eyes, he pulled the trigger, "Persona!" That familiar strength filled him as the male Orpheus appeared before him.

Before he could issue any orders, the Steel Gigas already came down on Orpheus, swinging its massive arms at the musician. Brandishing the massive lyre, Orpheus used it to absorb most of the impact, but his body was still thrown back against the wall. Minato grunted as the shock through his Persona could be felt through his own mind and body, and he brought his sword up to divert another swing at his body before rolling to the side to avoid the arms coming down, splitting the ground where he had been. "Agi!" He barked his order as he tumbled to his feet, looking up in time to see a burst fire hit the Shadow's chest, but it hardly budged despite being covered in flames. Panting, his blue hues still showed no sign of despair as he stood up, beckoning Orpheus to him again.

Drawing her own Evoker, Minako prepared to summon her own Persona until she was interrupted by a stone block flying at her. Sidestepping out of the way, she looked toward the Steel Gigas, who had taken handfuls of the floor it had split with its intention much too obvious. "Guh..." Dragging the naginata along the floor with her right hand, she started to run in a wide circle around the Steel Gigas, trying to stay on the move while she brought up her Evoker, crying out in a loud voice, "Orpheus!" The female musician appeared in a burst of light and flew close behind her master.

Dodging two more chunks of stone, Minako watched as a burst of fire came from the blue jerk, drawing the Shadow's attention. Taking hold of the opportunity, she darted forward and raised the naginata at her side, planning to spear the Shadow in the back. "Agi!" She called out her order just as she thrust forward, her Orpheus strumming the heart-shaped lyre to create a small explosion of fire at its back. Striking the same area, Minako could feel, and see, a small crack appear in its back, but it was too miniscule to call it a victory. Not only that, the reaction time from the Shadow had suddenly become much faster than before, as if knowingly countering her attack. Minako only had enough time to bring back her naginata to try and parry an arm that swung at her as the Steel Gigas turned, but her weapon was knocked out of her hand in the process. The other arm came at her, and she braced herself before her Orpheus appeared in front of her to absorb the hit.

As if momentum had been built up in the counter, this one was much stronger than the strike on the male Orpheus. The Steel Gigas easily swung through the female Orpheus's defense and threw her back into her master, sending them both to the ground with a sickening thud.

* * *

Looking back, her eyes widened as she watched her friend get thrown into the ground, "Nako-chan!" Yukari called out to her before she heard Junpei's struggles in front of her. Turning back around, she tried to keep herself from worrying too much. She had to count on their leaders to take care of larger threat while they made sure they weren't overrun by the smaller ones. "Ugh... Just don't let them into the room, Junpei!"

Junpei was swinging wildly as he stood in the hallway, using his long katana to try and knock them off the walls and push back the ones on the ground. It was just a constant flow of small shadows with masks that had no particular strategy except to charge at them. Their only form of attack was to swing with small arms when they got into range, which they sometimes did. Luckily for Junpei, it was probably the only style that he was used to fighting against, although he knew he was getting tired from having to keep back so many. "Just...Just hurry up and kill them! I can't keep swinging like this forever, you know!" Despite his fairly strong swings, they were only thrown back for a moment or two before they came at him again.

Narrowing her eyes, Yukari shot with pinpoint accuracy, piercing the masks of every Shadow that was knocked back. Whenever there was a small break between waves, she drew her Evoker from the holster on her leg and pointed it at her forehead. Always pausing for a moment, she pulled the trigger called out her Persona, "Io!" It appeared as a human-like female that sat in between the horns of a head, chains binding the female to it. "Dia!" Particles of light fell around Junpei to heal any wounds he may have suffered, although it certainly didn't get rid of his fatigue. Trying to play the support and the attacker was a stressful role, but she knew that she needed to keep Junpei up and going so she wouldn't get overrun.

"Thanks!" Junpei called back, wiping sweat from his brow, panting while he waited for the Shadows. He knew better than to run into the midst of them, as he was essentially just the guard for Yukari and their leaders. Still, even though he was in danger, there was something about the situation that made him grin like a fool. He honestly imagined himself looking like a badass when he was holding back the waves of enemies by himself, being the individual that kept his comrades safe.

That idiot. "Junpei! Stop daydreaming!" Yukari yelled angrily, shooting two Shadows that had already reached him.

"Wh-Wha?! O-Oh, damn!" Snapping out of it, the male student swung to knock one away before seeing that they had gathered close together when moving toward him. "You think you're safe in numbers? Well, think again!" Having much too much fun with the situation, he brought out his Evoker and pointed it at his temple, "Hermes!" A black and gold Persona appeared in front of the Shadows with wings on his head and even larger wings attached to his lower body. "Cleave!" While the swing range was quite short, the Shadows in front had grouped up enough to all get caught in the attack, which only made Junpei that much cockier.

Laughing, Junpei taunted the Shadows in the hallway, "Yeah, how's that?!"

* * *

"Damn it!" Minato had been thrown back again as Orpheus moved to shield him from further attacks, although it was clear that his Persona had been beaten up quite a bit now. While dodging its attacks weren't too difficult, its attacks were powerful, and its body was had unbelievably hard to break through. Still, he hadn't gotten a clear hit in like the girl had, although it had ended up in that surprising and powerful counter. He had to buy enough time for her to recover, seeing that she was still conscious.

Gripping his sword firmly, he charged in just as the sound of Mitsuru's voice got through, "Arisato, can you hear me?"

Avoiding a high attack, he swung at the Steel Gigas to find a hand just knocking his blow away. Growling, he slid back as he had Orpheus try casting a fire skill again, "I'm a little busy right now..."

"This is important; I've finished scanning the target. It's weak to electricity and light skills."

Nearly getting hit, Minato fell back onto the ground before moving his head just as the Steel Gigas's fist came down, smashing through the floor where his head had been. Grunting, he pushed himself up as Orpheus tackled the Shadow to the side, trying to keep it away from Minato, "As helpful as that sounds, I don't think any of us can use those skills. Orpheus certainly doesn't know any of those skills, and – " He paused as he thought back on what he was told. "Multiple...Personas..."

"What's wrong?" Mitsuru asked, having caught the last bit of what he was saying.

Shaking his head instinctively, Minato got back up on his feet just as Orpheus was thrown past him and into the wall again, "Don't worry about it. Just give us a little more time...we'll bring it down." Setting his eyes on the Shadow, he slowly moved toward the girl on the floor as Orpheus appeared again. Keeping him materialized was already creating a great amount of strain on his body, and he was having trouble breathing when his Persona had already been beaten to a haggard state. "Just a little bit more..." He assured Orpheus as he sent him at the Shadow again, trying to buy time. Even though he had been told they could wield multiple Personas, he had no way of knowing how to call any other than Orpheus. Heed his calling? How was he supposed to do that when he couldn't call them by name or even imagine them? Minato tried picturing a Persona with electrical attacks, but the Personas had so many convoluted forms that he failed miserably.

Getting down on one knee, he shook the girl's shoulder, "Hey! You're not out already, are you?"

Raising her hand, she rubbed the back of her head as she opened her eyes. Slowly sitting up, the auburn haired girl took a hold of her naginata, "Uhn...hey, you're not the one that took that hit. It really hurt...and if Orpheus hadn't absorbed most of that blow, I probably would have been split in half..." Still trying to regain her bearings, her gaze moved to where the male Orpheus was trying to distract the Shadow by just avoiding its attacks. "You haven't made much progress with that thing, have you?"

Frowning, he watched as his Persona desperately tried to avoid hits. "It's not too incredibly fast, but we can't even make a dent when our attacks don't even faze it. Mitsuru-senpai said its weakness was electricity and something else, but we don't really have those skills. However..." He met her gaze, "Igor said we're able to possess multiple Personas, right? As great as that sounds though, I can't picture any other kind of Persona, especially one that might have an electricity skill. Can you?"

A different Persona? She already found it difficult to picture her Orpheus when she was pointing that Evoker to her head. After a moment longer, she shook her head, "I...I don't even know where to begin when trying to think of one. He said they'd heed our calling even if we didn't know their names, right? So how..."

"I don't know. That bastard is always hinting at what we know or will eventually know, but – " Widening his eyes, he dropped his sword and tried to balance himself with that hand, not wanting to topple over. Looking up, he watched Orpheus getting struck one last time before dematerializing. "Damn..." He growled in a strained voice, the burden of keeping his injured Persona materialized becoming too great. Those heavy footsteps didn't hesitate to come at them the moment the larger obstacle had been removed. Lifting both of those muscular arms, the Shadow swung down at them.

Tackling him to the side, she stayed low on top of him as she pulled her Evoker up to her temple, "O-Orpheus!" The female Persona appeared to intercept any followup from the Steel Gigas. Sighing, the auburn haired girl pushed herself up, looking down at him, "Are you okay, Minato-kun?" She couldn't say anything more as she quickly turned around to see the Shadow having caught Orpheus's leg. Before she dematerialized her Persona, the Steel Gigas swung Orpheus into her, sweeping her off the blue haired boy and into the air, the naginata sailing across the room. While she tumbled through the air to land on her feet this time, she quickly felt a sharp pain in her chest as the Shadow proceeded to swing about Orpheus, slamming the Persona into the floor continuously. Gritting her teeth, she cried out before collapsing to her knees, "O-Orpheus!" The female Persona disappeared a moment before it was about to collide with the floor again.

The Steel Gigas only turned to Minako as she was struggling to get on her feet again. Hearing those footsteps again, she could feel her breathing grow heavier. What was she missing? She was certain that giant Shadow on the rooftop had been tougher and scarier. This should have been easier! Fumbling to take a hold of her Evoker again, she looked up as the Shadow stood over her. All there was to look at was that mask, and it made her tremble with the realization that that was the last thing she would see. Minako quickly narrowed her eyes when she saw something coming from behind the monster. Her naginata came soaring through the air, hitting the back of the Shadow's head with a clinking sound before dropping to the floor. The Steel Gigas made a grunting sound before turning to see what had brushed against him.

"Get away from her," Minato growled, standing up from picking up his sword, positioning himself a few good strides away from the Shadow. Anger dwelled within his cool hues as he placed his finger over the Evoker's trigger. "You still haven't gotten a real hit on me yet...so why don't you come over here and take a shot?" He didn't even know if provoking the Steel Gigas was even possible, but he beckoned it over, expecting it to at least understand body language. _Damn...still not sure what I can do, but..._ Clenching his teeth, he called out again, "Come on!" Raising his blade, he pointed it at the Shadow just as it began to close the distance in those heavy footsteps.

_But..._

Throwing away his fear, he pointed the barrel of the silver gun at his temple. Orpheus? It was impossible for him to use Orpheus to defeat this Shadow. Not only that, but the link he had with Orpheus felt like it had weakened for the time being when they were both injured. But what else was there?

Another heavy step hit the floor.

There was no time. Minato could already see that arm ready to punch right through him. He needed something. Anything. What was the old man talking about? Possibilities? What possibilities? It was die or...die?

Stepping right in front of the blue haired boy, the Shadow swung down at his head.

Everything he said was utterly useless. Nothing was coming to mind. Why weren't they heeding his call? He didn't care which one came out, but he needed one that wasn't the Fool, Orpheus. _...I'm dead._ His grip loosened on his Evoker, and he smirked as he felt like accepting his fate, letting his eyes close.

A pair of bright, crimson eyes stared back at him behind those eyelids.

_But...I refuse..._

_I refuse to let her die!_

Snapping his eyes open, Minato pulled the trigger as that fist came within inches of his face. "Inugami!" There was no need to for a vocal order as lightning struck the Shadow's chest, forcing it back, albeit it endured the blow enough to stay on its feet. A long, white body with a dog head came down from above, stopping beside Minato. Breathing heavily, he only glanced at the Persona he had summoned before looking toward the Steel Gigas again. The lightning strike certainly did much more than any of their previous blows, but it hadn't been enough, and while his body felt a bit lighter from summoning, he didn't know how much longer he could last keeping the new Persona materialized.

That didn't stop him though. Boldly stepping toward the Shadow now, he imagined the lightning strike again, but he wanted it to be stronger. Did Inugami have any stronger electricity based skills? It didn't seem like it, but as he pictured the blow, a clicking sound rang through his head. He smirked, growling his order immediately, "Inugami, Zionga!" Similar to before, Inugami moved about beside him before an even larger bolt of lightning flew from its body. The Shadow had no time to even try and dodge, as the sudden burst overwhelmed it and sent it flying back into the wall.

Keeping Inugami out, Minato stopped in front of the Steel Gigas and narrowed his eyes at the sight. Its body seemed to be smoking, and the once metal-like flesh was...softening. Tenderizing. It was clear to the naked eye that one could cut it now. While unable to move its limbs, the Shadow raised its head and let out an almost deafening, grotesque scream. The blue haired boy didn't wait for it to stop; he raised his sword and sank his blade into its neck with a quick swing, beheading the Shadow swiftly. Its voice echoed for only a moment more before the Steel Gigas's body began disappearing like the Shadow on the rooftop had.

He stood there, staring at the wall where the Shadow had been before he collapsed against it, strength leaving his body as Inugami dematerialized. Minato sighed in relief as he turned himself around so his back was against the wall, looking over to where the girl was.

"M-Minato-kun!"

Smirking, he closed his eyes. She really was a nuisance.

* * *

"Is that...Is that all?!" Junpei yelled into the hallway, clearly out of breath. With his arms barely able to even pick up the katana anymore, he wiped sweat off his face with his shoulder before exhaling. "Yeah, that's right, Shadows. Now today you...you...Junpei Iori..." He was too tired to continue as he stood there trying to recover.

Yukari had turned around the moment the last Shadow was vanquished to see their leaders in a beaten up state. "A-Are you two okay?" She asked in a worried voice, quickly running over to the auburn haired girl to check her for wounds. Yukari was somewhat relieved to only find a number of bruises. Summoning her Persona, she tried to ease the pain.

"Thanks, Yukari-chan," said Minako finally, leaning against the brunette for the few moments she was being healed. She felt unbelievably exhausted, just like that rooftop battle, but while there was that sense of victory, she felt slightly discouraged.

Yukari nodded and stood up again after she did what she could for the auburn haired girl. Walking over the blue haired boy, she stopped for a moment when he raised his hand, but she continued and got down next to him. "If you don't want me to bother healing you, then just pretend I'm not here, okay?" She said as she summoned Io again.

Chuckling softly, he leaned his head back against the wall again as he felt the effects of the recovery skill the brunette was using. "Your leaders must look pretty pathetic like this; all beaten up like this."

"Well, you two did handle that larger Shadow, so I'll forgive you this one time_"_ replied Yukari, giving him a smile as she finished healing him. Standing up again, she brushed off her skirt before moving over to the auburn haired girl again, "Hey, Junpei! Stop being lazy and help out. We need to hurry up and find that stupid access thing Mitsuru-senpai was talking about." Crouching down, she moved Minako's arm around her shoulder to help her stand up.

Grumbling, Junpei moved over to their male leader, "Give me a break! You were just in the back picking them off with your bow while I tanked those Shadows..." He helped up the reluctant Minato, lending him his shoulder before he moved toward the hallway. "Actually, I've been wondering why Mitsuru-senpai hasn't contacted us yet. Figured she'd at least beep in or something to congratulate us."

"No point in waiting for her to contact us," Yukari replied almost bitterly, as she let Junpei take the lead down the hallway.

The auburn haired girl looked up to the male leader's back, having some trouble finding her voice, "H-Hey, Minato-kun. Thanks...for earlier." She knew she should have been happy that they triumphed, but her role in that fight had been disheartening. While she did give orders before they actually fought, she felt useless during the actual battle. There was no synergy with Minato, and she was reckless enough to get hit twice, which led to her Orpheus getting injured much more quickly when absorbing most of the blow. She hadn't awakened any kind of new Persona like Minato seemed to have, not even when she desperately wanted to keep him safe. In the end, all she had done was watch. She felt...weak.

Looking over his shoulder, his cool blue hues noticed that the girl was seemingly deep in thought. Not saying anything in return, he trudged forward, the heaviness of his legs slowly setting in.

"Man, how long does this hallway last?!" Junpei let a frustrated sigh escape his lips before his eyes spotted a green light up ahead. "Hey...hey! Is that it? That better be it!" He picked up the pace, helping Minato along, and stopped in front of the odd device. Looking back, he waited for Yukari and the female leader to catch up. "This glowy thing is like the one in the lobby, right?"

Yukari adjusted the arm around her shoulders to help Minako move a bit faster before they joined the other two, "Can you just hurry up and activate it before – " She paused as a chill went down her spine. Looking behind her slowly, her brown eyes looked down into the darkness of the hallway, waiting a moment before hearing that bone-chilling noise.

Rattling of chains.

"Q-Quick, use it, idiot!" hissed the brunette, her eyes never leaving the shadows of the hallway while she backed up closer to the others.

While Junpei was waving his arms around the device, Minato looked back for a moment to see what was coming. Appearing out of the darkness, a figure moved, or rather floated, across the floor toward them. Its one ominous yellow eye watched their every move as it bore down them. Everyone understood as they felt its presence getting closer. It would be the end of them.

Yukari spun around while holding the auburn haired girl close, "Junpei!"

"I got it, I got it!" Junpei frantically kicked the device before the whir of the contraption filled their ears, and their bodies were enveloped in light before disappearing from the floor.

* * *

"Thank goodness you made it back," Mitsuru's voice seemed comforting, as she kneeled down by the four who collapsed after appearing by the green device. "There was continuous interference that kept me from seeing what went on in there."

Junpei groaned as the other three had landed on top of him when they appeared, "Well, glad to be back, but...man, I'm exhausted."

Akihiko helped the others off of Junpei before pulling the cap-wearing student up onto his feet, "That's the effect of the Dark Hour; you'll become fatigued more easily. Don't worry, though, you'll adapt."

"I don't know what went on in there, but the last thing I saw in there was a difficult battle ahead for you four. I never would have thought you four would have to encounter something like that so early, but you've all impressed me," Mitsuru stood back up before smiling at the silver haired student, "At this rate, they'll catch up to you in no time, Akihiko."

Smirking, the boxing champion moved to help the blue haired boy stay up as well, "Heh, we'll see about that."

Resting her head on Yukari's shoulder, Minako looked over to the blue haired student for a moment before closing her eyes. Warmth filled her as she felt the bonds between them grow stronger, but it was odd. She could sense the one separate from the others.

"Anyways," Mitsuru's voice broke her thoughts, "I know you're all tired. Let's return to the dorm."

* * *

There was a roar of applause as Mitsuru finished giving her speech at the morning assembly.

"Dang... That was freakin' amazing," Junpei commented before turning to the three he sat with, "Did any of you understand what she was talking about though?"

The blue haired student hung his head in his seat, clearly asleep, and the auburn haired girl, also asleep, was snuggling up to Yukari's left arm.

Junpei sighed, "You know, even I don't sleep during assemblies...most of the time."

"Yeah, you're a model student," Yukari said sarcastically, "Anyways, I bet most of the students in here don't know what she said. It just matters that she said it. After all, she IS the most popular girl in the school..."

Looking forward again, Junpei agreed, "Yeah, you're probably right. If it was anyone else, I bet we'd be laughin' our asses off. There's like some kind of aura around her. Besides, this school's owned by the Kirijo Group too, right?"

The conversation went unnoticed by their snoozing leaders.

* * *

Minato yawned as classes finally ended for the day. "Can't focus today..." he mumbled to himself as he stood up, glancing at the girl who was picking up her books. He was curious if she was still mad at him, especially when she just trailed behind him that morning, but he didn't want to ask something like that. He was too tired to deal with any of her annoying antics. Intending on returning to the dorm to relax, he slowly made his way downstairs and into the school courtyard.

"Hey, wait up!" Junpei ran up beside him, "You headin' back too? You don't mind company, right?"

Minato made no objections as he continued walking, but a commotion at the front gate caught his attention.

"_Look, it's Akihiko-senpai!"_

"_Wait for us!"_

A small crowd of schoolgirls were gathered around the silver haired student, vying for his attention. Akihiko only stayed silent, not sure on how to handle the situation.

"Man, would you look at that? I hear they're always swarming Akihiko-senpai like that..." Junpei sighed, jealousy apparent in his voice, "I know he's the captain of the boxing team, but...come on! You don't even see girls flock like that on TV!"

Akihiko apparently noticed them as they were walking by and squeezed past the girls, "Hey! Are you guys free this afternoon?" Junpei looked a bit surprised, but he only nodded rather nervously. Before Akihiko could speak, he saw the auburn haired girl walking up as well and made sure to catch her attention. "Ah, good, you're here too. I want you three to meet me at Paulownia Mall. You know where it is, right? I'll be at the Police Station, so meet me there."

"Th-The police station?" Junpei raised a brow before looking past the boxing stud to the girls who were staring at him, "...Uh, are your friends going to come along, too?"

Akihiko glanced behind him before shaking his head, "I don't even know the names of those girls. They talk so much they give me a headache." He nodded to the three before walking off, "Anyways, I'm going to head out; don't keep me waiting there." As he left, sighs of disappointment came from the group of girls.

"Well, I guess we gotta go... Psh, we don't need those girls anyways," Junpei said as they all started to move, "Because we've got Nako-chan with us!" He laughed as he gave her a wide grin.

She returned with a small smile before looking forward again, sighing softly as she walked beside the blue jerk.

* * *

"What does Akihiko-senpai want to show us at the police station anyways? You two want to ditch that idea and go karaoke?" suggested Junpei, stopping to point at the karaoke place, Mandragora.

Minato just walked past him, "Sounds dangerous with you singing."

Dropping his shoulders, Junpei sighed, "Not cool, man." Quickly recovering, a wide grin crossed his face as he turned to Minako, "Forget him! You want to just karaoke with me, Nako-chan? We can sing a duet together!"

"I might have to stop you there. It's dangerous if you sing alone, but if you add her in..." He looked over his shoulder at the pair, "I don't think anyone wants an apocalypse to happen."

The auburn haired girl only gave a small smile at the two, despite hearing the blue jerk making fun of her again, before casting her eyes down and moving ahead. Minato watched her walk past with a tilt of his head. No response? No glare? He wondered if it was different kind of act to try and guilt him into apologizing again. Nevertheless, he exchanged a look with Junpei before moving into the police station after her.

"Thank you, Sir," Akihiko's familiar voice could be heard as they entered. The boxing captain turned as they entered before nodding to them, "Oh, these are the guys I was talking about earlier." Standing behind the counter was a police officer with serious, sharp eyes. "This is Officer Kurosawa. He helps our squad keep well-equipped. And, this is from Ikutsuki-san..." He walked over to them and handed each of them five thousand yen.

Junpei eagerly took the bill, "R-Really?! Sweet!"

Akihiko took a step back before continuing, "You can't fight empty-handed, so find something you like. Officer Kurosawa has connections, but these things still cost money."

"Of course they do. Nothing in life is free," added the police officer in a deep voice.

The boxing captain nodded, "I realize that. Well, I'll see you later. Thanks again." Giving his thanks, Akihiko left the police station.

It was quiet after the door closed behind them. Junpei swallowed before raising his hand, "U-Uh, yeah, thanks for offering to help out, Sir! We'll, uh, we'll be back later when we need something, so...thank you very much!" Giving an awkward bow, he turned around and threw the door open before quickly stepping out. Minato and Minako gave their own appreciative nod and bow before following Junpei out. Once the door closed, Junpei sighed in relief, "Man, I don't think I'd ever want to go browsing in there for weapons alone. The guy looks like such a serious type... And only five thousand yen too! What are we supposed to buy with – hey, where are you going, Nako-chan?"

The auburn haired girl had already started walking away before turning around. Giving a small bow, she made a wave, "I-I'll be heading back to the dorm early. I'm...feeling a bit tired, so I think I'm going to go to bed early. I'll see you two tomorrow, okay?" She turned and walked off, but the two male students had noticed how her voice was softer than usual.

Junpei stayed quiet for a few moments longer before turning to the blue haired student, "You haven't been treating her badly, have you?"

Shrugging, Minato shook his head, "Haven't treated her any differently since the moment I met her. Why?"

"Well..." Junpei frowned a bit before looking him in the eye again, "I feel like she's been a little depressed since our Tartarus visit last night. Not only that, I listened in on a conversation between her and Yuka-tan earlier by the entrance. I think...I think she might already be considering leaving SEES."

This certainly caught his attention. A moment of surprise crossed his face before he lowered his gaze, "What are you talking about?"

"I couldn't hear every detail, but I heard her mention something about the way you treat her. I know you're always not giving a damn, and some of the girls have already taken a liking to your cool demeanor, but I think you should talk to her. You don't want to lose a member already, do you? A fellow leader at that!" Junpei said nothing more as he turned to walk away, "Anyways, I can't make you do anything, so I'll just leave you with my sagely, Junpei advice."

Watching him walk off, Minato frowned as he started walking around the fountain in the middle of the mall. She couldn't possibly be blaming him for her leave of the group, could she? Narrowing his eyes, he stopped by the bench with hands still in his pockets. Had he been too harsh recently? Aside from the comment in the hospital, he hadn't really spoken with her too often since then.

_You're just getting in my way._

He blinked.

_I'm fine with everyone but you..._

Was that why? Did she feel like he wanted her to leave?

Growling to himself, Minato looked about the mall, unsure of what to do. Did he need to apologize? It irritated him to think about admitting guilt in front of her. He didn't even know where to start! _Do I just say "sorry" and then everything's fine again?_ "Ugh..." He started walking again, his thoughts becoming a mess, but stopped in front of the Game Panic arcade. A sign was by the crane game, advertising the limited time jumbo sized Jack Frost dolls. Looking inside the machine, he could see that they put in Jack Frost dolls as big as his torso.

"..."

* * *

Minako stretched out on her bed, knowing that it was already dark outside now. Her room was only lit by the lamp on her desk, and she wanted to turn it off so she could go to sleep, but she was too tired to move. She really had been exhausted the entire day, and while she was a bit depressed about not performing well the night before, her talk with Yukari that morning made her feel much better.

She was thinking about telling their senpais that she would let that blue jerk be the sole leader. Even though she was able to tell people what to do, he had been the one to vanquish their main foe. As much as she wanted to stay at the head and keep everybody going in high spirits, she felt like she could do that while that jerk led too. At the entrance that morning, she had been expressing her irritation at the blue headed jerk for the way he treated her, but she knew she couldn't keep bickering like that when they were in dangerous situations. Minako planned to try and ignore the way he treated her so they could work together better.

Still, imagining herself not saying anything made her restless. Sighing, Minako sat up, rubbing her eyes, and moved over to her desk to turn off her lamp before a knock came at the door. "Mm?" Yawning, she walked over to the door and opened it, "Who is – " She found herself staring at a huge Jack Frost doll slightly bigger than her own torso. Blinking, she looked up from it to find those cool blue eyes staring into her own. Before a word was exchanged between the two, the doll was shoved into her arms, and she ended up holding the soft, and fairly light, doll with her head just over the top to look up at the guy at her door. "M-Mina – "

"H-Hey." His voice overrode hers, although she was surprised as it was the first time she heard him stumble over his words when speaking to her. "Look, I don't think I...uh, I can really stop being the way I am, but...I don't think that's a good reason for you to leave SEES!"

Tilting her head, Minako looked up at him with confused eyes. Leave SEES? Where was he getting that idea? Opening her mouth to try and correct him, she was stopped by his words again.

"If you thought I wanted you to leave, you...you were wrong, alright? I don't want you to leave SEES, and...if I made you..." Clenching his teeth, he was desperately trying to get those words out of his mouth, "If I made you feel like I didn't want you in the group, or if I...hurt you, I'm...guh..." Taking a deep breath, he looked her straight in the eye, "I'm sorry."

Minako pulled up the Jack Frost doll to block her surprised look from view, although her eyes clearly expressed it. Her arms still wrapped around the large doll, she spoke in a rather muffled voice, "U-Uh, Minato-kun, I...I mean, you don't have to apologize! A-Although, it's nice that you did, but...I was never – "

"Anyways," he interrupted again, "I'm counting on you, alright? Here." He pulled his cellphone from his pocket and lifted it in front of them. Recognizing the gesture, Minako quickly pulled out her own cellphone and exchanged numbers quietly, still hiding most of her face behind the smiling head of the Jack Frost doll. No matter how much she bothered him before, he refused to give him his cellphone number and email, as it gave her the ability to bother him even when she wasn't near. Once their numbers were exchanged, Minato slipped his phone into his pocket again before taking a step back, "This is just in case you need me or...I need you. That's it, alright?" His last few words were spoken quickly before he turned, walking away toward the stairs, "I'm counting on you to carry your weight as the other leader. So...good night."

Minako was speechless at what had happened in the past few moments. Shaking her head, she called out to him, "G-Good night!" Pulling back into her room, she closed the door and locked it before walking over her desk. Turning off the light, she moved to stretch out on her bed again with the Jack Frost doll in her arms. Staring into the darkness of her room, she adjusted herself so the pillow was underneath her head as she pulled out her phone again. Lighting up her face and her bright, crimson eyes, she stared at the contacts list screen. Seeing his name listed there as 'Arisato Minato' made her smile. Snuggling up against the Jack Frost doll, she lay there on her side, keeping her eyes on the screen, on his name, until it went dark.

* * *

Opening the front doors to the dorm, Minato found the auburn haired girl sitting at the bottom of the steps, humming to herself. Remembering the night before made him sigh, imagining that the girl wanted to poke fun at him for saying something so ridiculously out of character for him. Closing the door behind him, he descended the stairs and tried walking by her. It was not to be, as she quickly stood up and walked right next to him. He narrowed his eyes as he could feel those eyes watching him, and he tried to hold himself back as he didn't want to apologize again for losing his temper after just one day.

"Hmhm~" Smiling, she wrapped her left arm around the blue jerk's right, pulling his hand from his pocket as she continued to walk by him, "Hey, hey! Minato-kun... What did you have to do for that doll you gave me?"

_Asking in the most annoying way possible..._ Minato clenched his teeth as he didn't yank his arm away, "It...doesn't matter, does it?" He answered while keeping his eyes forward. At least his wallet wouldn't weigh him down in the next battle.

Feeling playful, she reached up with her slender index finger and poked him in the cheek, "You know, Minato-kun, I don't know where you go the idea from, but I was never going to leave SEES~"

_I'm going to kill him._

* * *

.::|| I made the battle scene longer than I had intended to again...so I tried making the overall chapter a bit longer than usual. To be honest, I really enjoy writing the interaction between Minato and Minako, and as much as I want to, I can't focus solely on their relationship. Anyways, as I just finished this, I realized I'm late for an appointment. While I want to edit it (there are a few lines/paragraphs that I'd change or delete altogether) for spelling and grammar errors, I'll upload it now, as I'll be gone for quite a while. I hope you can excuse some of the messy writing until I get some time to clean it up a bit. Thanks for reading and I'm looking forward to seeing more of your wonderful reviews! **Did a quick edit for errors, although I believe there are still some remaining...


	9. Chapter 08: Partner

**Chapter 08: Partner**

Students slowly filled the classroom of 2-F as the school bell started to ring. The blue-haired student was trying to get some sleep at his desk, fairly exhausted with his schedule as of late. It was already the beginning of May, and only about a week had passed since their first Tartarus escapade. Those bruises were finally starting to disappear, but he was still tired nevertheless. Although not as exhausting as the previous fights that left him severely injured, the past week had been tiring. He had already made a few acquaintances with some of the other students, and it always ended up with the image of a card flashing before his eyes. A strange occurrence, certainly. But this amount of socializing wasn't enough for that girl. She had pushed him into joining a sports club, having somehow convinced their senpais to urge him to do so as well. Thankfully, she had joined the volleyball club while he had joined the kendo club, meaning that practice was a safe haven for him.

It didn't stop there though. The two of them had been convinced by their senpai, Mitsuru, to join the student council, and while that girl seemed to be eager to take lead, it was through constant pestering that he had joined as well. That same day, he had been dragged along to a recently opened bookstore and met a nice old couple, and while he didn't make any promises, that annoyance made sure that it would be on his conscience if he didn't visit again. Given all of that, they still found the time to go to Tartarus just the night before because of Mitsuru-senpai wanting them to prepare for future battles. They had battled through tougher Shadows on higher floors only to be rewarded by a barrier that blocked off any further ascension.

Minato took a deep breath before he felt someone pull his earphones off. Opening his eyes slowly, he turned his head to see a girl a wearing the school uniform by his desk. Frowning, he buried his face in his arms again.

"Hey!" Her voice rang in his ears as she lowered herself to his level and prodded his cheek with her finger, "Sleeping right when you get to school isn't a great way to start off the day, you know."

Another sigh could be heard as Minato lifted his head, pulling his face away from that finger as he turned to her, "Maybe I wouldn't be so tired if you weren't so annoyingly insistent that I never have a moment of rest. Why are you concerned, anyways?"

Placing her hands on her hips, Minako beamed down at him with that irritatingly overbearing energy, "Because we have to look out for each other! Besides, Minato-kun, Mitsuru-senpai would be angry with me too if she knew I just let you get bad grades because you slept through class too many times... And hey!" She lowered her head a little while leaning forward, looking down at him while giving him a cheeky smile, "It's more fun to do things together with a friend, right?"

He wasn't even sure how to answer that question. Never had he thought having a 'friend' would be so unappealing. Turning away, Minato gave a wave of his hand, "Can't you make Junpei do these things? He's not in any clubs at all, so why don't you bother him? And what about going to Yukari for your town exploration?"

Tilting her head, the auburn-haired girl made a face as if he should have already known the answer, "Yukari-chan and I already do hang out together, but it might be bothersome for her if I asked her to just show me around even more... And as for Junpei, he...well..." Minako gave a soft laugh as she put a finger to her cheek, "I've gone out to eat ramen with him already, but I can tell he doesn't seem like the type to want to join a club or be in student council with us. Anyways, we're both new students right? It's even more fun when we're both discovering new things together!"

Another sigh. She didn't think it was bothersome for him then?

"What's the matter? If it's that much of a problem for you, you can tell me..." Her voice shifted to a more a worried tone, and while the blue-haired boy knew this tone all too well, he couldn't bear thinking of going too far with his attitude just to make an embarrassment of himself apologizing again. If Minako had learned anything from dealing with the blue jerk, it was that he really did care...albeit in the smallest amounts possible. While she really wasn't that worried, she grew fond of the thought of teasing him back with the knowledge that he hated being apologetic.

_Guh._ Clenching his teeth, Minato could feel his brow twitching for a moment before speaking, "...Fine. Although I still don't see why I have to be the one following you around on your little escapades. You're already as popular with the male students as Yukari, aren't you? Why don't you ask one of them to follow you around instead?"

She was a bit caught off guard by that, but Minako quickly shook her head, "I-I don't think I have as many admirers as Yukari-chan! I mean, she gets letters in her shoe locker almost every period...I-I think, but I only get maybe one or two at the end of the day." The auburn-haired girl was usually uncomfortable talking about things like that, but she only smiled through it as she sat down in her seat next to the blue-haired boy, "Besides, I don't really want to hang out with them, especially when I don't think walking around and talking with people is what they have in mind. Is it wrong of me to like hanging out with you, Minato-kun?"

Even though it sounded like a compliment, it was still a bit irritating to hear her being so forward about it. There was a short silence between them before Minato scoffed, looking away from her, "...Whatever. Do as you like, but it's a bother when you're using up all my time like that."

Minako giggled and gave a rather triumphant smile as she got back into her usual mood, "Oh~? Am I taking up time that you'd spend with another girl, Minato-kun? Maybe looking for some free time to get another present to give...like the one you gave me?"

"It wasn't a present," Minato quickly replied before pausing while keeping himself turned away, "...Still haven't told anyone about that...right?"

Another giggle came from her as she gave a cheeky answer, "Not yet~"

* * *

Despite having told that blue jerk to stay awake during class, Minako was having trouble doing so herself. Maybe she really had been studying too much recently, especially when she wanted to stay on the good side of Mitsuru-senpai. Still, it was fun studying with the various dorm residents. Especially Yukari-chan! While she tried to study with Junpei once, it ended up as a disaster when he kept getting off track and cracking jokes. It wasn't really studying when she asked her two senpais; it felt much more like tutoring. They both got high marks on their tests, but it was clear that Mitsuru-senpai was even ahead of Akihiko-senpai. And then there was him...

Spinning her pencil in hand, she glanced to her side to see the blue jerk with his face nestled up against his arms. Was he really that tired from her encouraging him to be active? With all those remarks he made, he should be grateful that she wasn't spreading the fact that he had gone out of his way to give her a present! Those insults of his had lightened up ever since then, but she could tell that he was always itching to get a word in to put her down. Minako was hoping that spending more time together would make their strange friendship stronger, but it just seemed to be stretching it thin. Honestly, she couldn't place her finger on why she was so insistent. Maybe it was for the same reason as to why he always wanted to be so hostile towards her.

Hearing the bell snapped her out of her thoughts and made her drop her pencil. Sighing, she started packing her things into her bag before getting in between hers and the blue-haired student's desk. Picking up her pencil, she knocked on the blue jerk's head with the eraser end, "What're you planning on doing today, Minato-kun?"

After a muffled sigh, Minato slowly sat up, "Don't know. Maybe find a quieter place to sleep?"

"That's no good, Minato!" Junpei interrupted, walking up to them, "You're wasting precious time, man!"

It sounded like a joke coming from this particular student. The blue-haired student sighed, "And what were you planning on doing, Junpei?"

Smirking, the cap-wearing male smugly replied, "Glad you asked! Well, Akihiko-senpai is in the hospital today getting a checkup, and he asked me to bring him something. It's no surprise though; he knows who to count on in times like these."

"He only asked you because you don't have anything else to do after school. Besides, what did he ask you to bring him?" Yukari joined the conversation after overhearing Junpei.

Junpei frowned at the brunette's words, "H-Hey, I resent that. Anyways, he asked me to bring him the class roster for 2-E."

"What's he want that for?" asked the brunette, although she could see that Junpei didn't know either. _Typical..._ "...Well, I don't have practice today, so I'll go with you. You two will be coming too, right?"

Just following along, Minako widened her eyes before nodding energetically, "Definitely! We didn't have anything planned anyways, right Minato-kun?"

Shaking his head, the blue-haired student stood up, "Don't speak for me; I'll pass."

"Come on, now," Yukari quickly cut in, not wanting to let him off the hook so easily, "I'm sure he wants us there too... It sounds important, doesn't it?"

Junpei coughed into his fist, "He asked ME, you know..."

Rolling her eyes at Junpei, Yukari said, "If it's important, we should all go together. Right? We're a team after all."

"Right! As the appointed leaders, we have to go..._right_, Minato-kun?" the auburn-haired girl's voice popped in energetically again as she looked happily toward Minato.

Having all three pairs of eyes on him was irritating, but he finally sighed and relented, "Fine, fine. Let's hurry up and go then. You have the roster already, Junpei?"

"Of course! I got it during lunch break. Like I said, Akihiko-senpai knew who to count on when asking for this favor," Junpei replied with that same smugness as before.

The brunette rolled her eyes again before walking toward the doors, "Let's not keep him waiting then. The earlier we get there, the earlier we can find out that Junpei brought the wrong thing."

"H-Hey!"

* * *

Walking through the Tatsumi Memorial Hospital, it took them a while before they found the room they were directed to. Junpei was in the lead with the class roster in hand, and as he walked into the room, he stopped in his tracks when he saw an unfamiliar young man sitting on the bed instead of Akihiko-senpai. He wore a beanie that covered most of his brown hair and stopped just above those steel-colored eyes. The rest of his attire was a maroon peacoat, black pants, and brown shoes. It was difficult for Junpei to show his usual confidence when he was just greeted with silence and an unnerving stare, "Umm... Is...Akihiko-senpai...in this room? By any chance?"

"What are all of you guys doing here?" Akihiko's familiar voice let the entire group relax as he walked past them and into the room.

Seeing that Junpei was still having difficulty finding his words, Minako stepped in, "We came to see you, Senpai! We wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm just here for a checkup," the silver-haired male gave a small laugh after seeing them show up just for him.

There was a small silence before the unknown visitor's deep voice came in, "Is that it, Aki?" With a return nod from Akihiko, the visitor sighed, "Tch... I don't have time for this shit." Standing up, he started walking past them, with Junpei making sure he got out of the way, before he stopped in between the two young leaders. Looking down at them, he narrowed his eyes, "You two..." There was a quick pause before he shook his head and left the room, "Never mind..."

Another period of silence followed before Junpei spoke in a shaky voice, "Wh-Who was that?'

"A friend from school...sort of," the silver-haired male replied, "You know how the number of Apathy Syndrome cases has been increasing? Well, he knows a few people who are suffering from it, so I was asking him about it." Thinking about the situation again made him sigh before he turned to Junpei, "Hey Junpei, did you bring what I asked?"

With a nod, the cap-wearing student handed his senpai the class roster, "Of course, Senpai."

Nodding thankfully, Akihiko took the class roster before smirking, "Sorry for the trouble. Well then, let's get going!" Energetically, he jabbed the air with his fist, clearly wanting to get back into the ring.

"Uh, you probably shouldn't move your arm, Senpai..." Junpei said worriedly.

Shaking his head, the silver-haired student replied confidently, "It's nothing. I've wasted enough time already. I need to get back to my training."

"By the way, Senpai, why boxing?" Yukari asked while holding her hands behind her back.

Lowering his hands, Akihiko looked at the brunette, "You mean, why did I choose that sport? Well..." He pondered that question for a moment before answering, "It's not the sport itself I like; I just wanted to learn how to fight. I know what it's like to feel powerless...and I don't want to feel that way again. Besides, I'm curious as to how strong I can get. It's like a game, only I'm competing against myself."

"That's an interesting way of looking at it. Ya know, I'm into games too..." Junpei seemed to try and relate to his senpai.

Rolling her eyes, Yukari sighed, "Yeah, VIDEO games."

"Hey! I like fighting games too," he replied defensively.

"...Whatever."

* * *

Yawning, Minato walked to school with his hands in his pockets. He had been able to persuade that annoyance to leave him alone after they left the hospital the day before, and he had gotten plenty of sleep...although he still felt tired. Still, he was determined to at least get through the day without sleeping during class. They had a three day weekend after all.

Running up beside the blue-haired student, the auburn-haired girl, holding her schoolbag with both hands in front of her, quickly matched his pace as she greeted him happily, "Morning, Minato-kun! Golden Week starts tomorrow. Have you got any plans?"

Glancing to his side for a moment, he shrugged in response, "Not really. I was just planning on taking it easy."

"Hmm~" Minako thought for a moment, "We should do something together then! Maybe we can go karaoke with everyone?"

Sighing, the blue-haired male simply replied, "Maybe."

"Come on, show more enthusiasm! Besides, you should be glad you're being invited out! I hear Junpei isn't have the greatest of luck doing so, eheheh," Minako didn't want to let the blue jerk's attitude to put a damper on her excitement for Golden Week. She had plans with Yukari already, but she wanted to make sure she made time for as many people as possible. Even if she was still considered new, the auburn-haired girl wanted to quickly make friends with as many as possible. It was somewhat difficult considering that she had to keep up with her studies, especially for Mitsuru-senpai, and train for future missions.

Her comment on Junpei drew a chuckle out of the blue-haired student, "Sounds about right for him. And fine, if it makes you feel any better, I'll be as enthusiastic as you want when we all go out. I'm planning on spending one of the days playing a game Junpei gave me though; Sin Online, I think it was called? With the Internet line being fixed, I want to check it out."

"It's an online game? Well, be sure you don't get addicted! As a fellow leader and your partner, I won't approve of you dismissing your responsibilities because of a game," she almost seemed to try and mimic Mitsuru-senpai's mature and authoritative tone.

Shaking his head, he quickened his pace, "That tone doesn't suit you. You look and sound like too much of a kid for that to work for you."

"H-Hey!" Minako narrowed her eyes as she picked up her own pace to catch up to the blue jerk.

* * *

Minato pushed opened the doors to the dorm and entered, followed by the auburn-haired girl with a big smile on her face. She closed the doors behind her before sighing softly, "We should visit that bookstore more often, Minato-kun. I think they really like you~!"

The blue-haired male shook his head as he walked toward the lounge area, "Are you sure they aren't just happy to see you? You do most of the talking anyways. I'm sure they're happy to see someone as annoyingly energetic as yourself come in to visit with them."

Following him to the lounge area, she stood behind the blue jerk as he sat down in one of the armchairs, "Don't say that! I think they really like talking with you too."

A loud sigh interrupted their conversation as Junpei came into the lounge area with a soda in his hand. Plopping down on the couch, he opened the bottle with a hissing sound, "S'up guys? Sounds like you two had something fun to do..." Taking a drink, he let out another sigh, "Three-day weekend starts tomorrow! I asked some peeps to see if they wanted to hang out, but the only ones interested were guys... Man, I don't want no sausage fest..."

Mitsuru stopped by the lounge area just as Yukari came and sat down as well, "I don't mean to interrupt, but need I remind you that midterms are quickly approaching? You had best use your time wisely."

The brunette sighed as a spoon was in her mouth, eating from a yogurt cup, "You HAD to remind me..."

"Don't worry, Mitsuru-senpai! I'm sure you won't have to worry about us. I think we'll all do fine on the midterms, right?" Minako replied positively as she looked to the others for support. Junpei just looked away almost guiltily while the blue jerk completely ignored her. Yukari was the only one who responded with a smile and a nod, agreeing with her.

The mature redhead smiled as she nodded, "Well, I'm counting on all of you to keep up with your studies while you still train for Tartarus visits." With that, she walked away with the click of her high heeled boots.

Yukari took another spoonful of yogurt before muttering, "I'm sure SHE doesn't need to be worried at all with how perfect she is..."

* * *

…_time is of the essence..._

Minako blinked as she found herself staring at the ceiling of her bedroom. From the way things looked, everything having that eerie green tint, she knew she had awoken during the Dark Hour. Rubbing her eyes gently, she slowly sat up and looked around her room. Despite everything looking undisturbed, it seemed...void of something. At least it felt like that for the moment.

Swallowing, Minako stayed silent to see if she could hear anything. She was certain she had heard a voice just as she opened her eyes, but there was nothing to be heard. Frowning to herself, she pushed the bedsheets off of her and stood up from her bed. Reaching down, she picked up the Jack Frost doll that had been lying next to her in bed and pulled it to her chest. Slipping on simple slippers, the auburn-haired girl left her room rather quickly. After shutting the door behind her, she leaned back against it and let out a sigh of relief. It was difficult to understand it herself, but there was just something out of place in her room, so she simply left.

Casting her crimson eyes down, the female student pulled the doll even closer as she buried her face against it. Thinking about that voice made her tremble, albeit it wasn't from fear. Shaking her head, she exhaled slowly before walking down the hallway.

While it was bad to do so, Minako tried to reason with herself while going down the stairs, "Can't hurt to have a midnight snack to get my mind off of things..." She stopped at the bottom of the stairs on the second floor when she saw someone standing there, facing away from her. At first, she almost made a sound from how she hadn't noticed him when descending, but after a moment, she tightened her hold on the doll and slowly approached the male from behind.

"M-Minato-kun?" her meek voice was even surprising to her, but it was because the blue-haired male was just standing there, staring into thin air.

Blinking, he snapped out of his own thoughts and turned about to meet those bright, crimson eyes. Despite the large Jack Frost doll in the way, he could see that she was also in her sleepwear: a light-colored button-up top with matching pajama pants. For a moment, he felt relieved to see those pair of eyes, but he quickly returned to his usual demeanor as he raised a brow, "What are you doing up this late?"

Hearing his voice was relieving for her, as it had just been eerily quiet before. Letting out a sigh, she relaxed visibly before looking up at him, "I just...had a weird dream, eheheh, so I decided to just walk around a bit to try and get my mind off of it. Anyways, what about you? Why were you just standing here?"

"It's...nothing. You could say I had a weird dream too. I guess I wanted to walk around too, but I ended up just lost in my own thoughts," Minato replied in a simple manner. There was no reason for him to share that odd experience with the auburn-haired girl, especially when he didn't want her to get spooked by some voice he thought he heard. "By the way...why are you carrying that around with you?"

Still holding the Jack Frost doll, Minako blinked before realizing what he was referring to. She let out a small, nervous laugh before looking down at it, "W-Well, even though we've fought in the Dark Hour already, it still feels a little...frightening at times, especially when I don't have my weapon! I know this isn't a weapon or anything, but...I feel safer if I carry it around..."

"Safer...?" He tilted his head as he really didn't understand her. Shaking his head, he slipped his hands into his gray pajama pants pockets before turning around, "Well, as fun as it is, I think I'll go back to my room now. Good night." The blue-haired male moved to take a step before he felt something tug at the back of his white t-shirt.

With an arm still around the doll, her free hand had moved forward to grab at the blue jerk's shirt, trying to stop him. With her eyes on his broad back, she swallowed before speaking, "Wait, Minato-kun..." She honestly felt like she wouldn't be able to sleep in that room just yet, especially with it still being the Dark Hour. She didn't want to hear that voice again. "I was gong to get a snack downstairs...care to join me?"

Hearing her invitation, Minato narrowed his eyes. Turning around, he was meaning to refuse her before he found those pair of crimson eyes looking up at him. His voice caught in his throat as he could tell that she wanted his presence to be there with her. "Tch..." Clenching his teeth for a moment, he relented, muttering, "What, do you think you feel safer when I'm around?"

While he wasn't expecting an answer, the auburn-haired girl nodded.

"...Fine. If anything, only till the Dark Hour ends, alright?" Looking away from her, Minato moved past her and descended the stairs.

Giving a small smile when the blue-haired male accepted her offer, Minako followed behind him as they descended to the first floor. She moved to where their kitchen was while Minato sat down at the dining table. After rummaging through everything, she finally produced a slice of strawberry cake on a plate. Walking over to the dining table, she set down the plate in front of the seat next to the blue jerk before putting down the Jack Frost doll in the chair next to it. Sitting down, the auburn-haired girl dug in with her fork, letting out a pleased sound because of the taste.

With an elbow on the dining table, Minato propped up his head while watching her happily eat her sweet midnight snack. After a moment, he smirked, "Are you sure it's a good idea to eat something so sweet in the middle of the night? If you're not careful, you might gain a little weight..."

She rewarded him with a well deserved glare before taking another bite, "You always know how to choose your words carefully, don't you? Anyways, I'm sure I'll be fine. I'll just...work extra hard during my next volleyball practice..." Giving herself excuses, she took another few bites, although she avoided eating the strawberry that still rested on the top.

"Think of it as a trade for always pestering me," he replied simply before his eyes were drawn to the strawberry on top. Was she saving it for last?

Pulling the fork from her mouth, Minako looked to the blue jerk again to see him looking down at the cake. Tilting her head, curious as to what he was interested in, she looked down at the plate for a moment before picking up the strawberry covered in frosting. Carefully cutting it in half with her fork, she picked up one half with her utensil and raised it to the male beside her, asking almost too innocently "Do you want a bite, Minato-kun?"

A flashback to when she fed him that apple came to him, and for a moment, his face turned slightly red before he shook his head, turning away, "Of course not!"

"Hmm~?" Minako smiled when she saw his reaction. It was rare for her to see anything like this from him. "Are you sure, Minato-kun? It's super sweet and delicious~!" Even though he always acted like this towards her, she wanted to make progress in becoming close friends with him. He always seemed so distant, and he certainly had many of the students at school to think he was the loner type. She couldn't place her finger on the exact reason why she wanted to get close to him though. "Are you refusing a girl who's offering to feed you again?"

_This again...?_ Turning back to her to tell her off, he widened his eyes as she pushed the strawberry up against his lips. That determination in her eyes. _Why are you always so serious when it comes to something so trivial..._ Narrowing his eyes, he held his breath for a moment before he finally took the strawberry from the fork.

"There, tasty, right?" Smiling as he accepted it, Minako moved her fork to pick up the other half from her plate and happily ate it.

Swallowing, the blue-haired male watched her for a moment before sighing, "You always do whatever you feel like, don't you?"

Quickly finishing the rest of the cake and pushing the plate away, the auburn-haired girl smiled up at him, "Hmm~? It's not a bad thing, is it? I don't think it bothers anyone...except for maybe one person~" She giggled as she closed her eyes, her smile growing as she hoped he knew who she was referring to.

Another silence occurred between them before he looked away again, "Such a simple-minded girl..."

Not catching what he said, Minako yawned as she pulled the Jack Frost doll from the seat beside her and put it in her lap, pulling it close to her chest. There weren't that many moments where she really had the chance to talk with him like this. Normally, they had something else in mind, but now, he was just spending time with her because she had asked. "Hey, Minato-kun."

"What is it?" he replied without looking back at her.

Resting her head against the doll's head, she looked towards the blue jerk, "Do you think I'm...weak?"

Blinking, he was surprised by her out of character question. Continuing to look in the opposite direction, he frowned somewhat. "...What kind of question is that?" he said in an almost annoyed tone. "Minako," he paused as he almost fumbled over her name, realizing that he didn't often call out to her as she did him, "Do you think you're weak?"

It took her a short while before replying, "I...don't know. I'm just...curious. No matter what we encounter, you always seem so...collected and focused on the problem at hand. When we first visited Tartarus, I wasn't really helpful at all, and – "

"Stop," he interjected with an even more annoyed tone now, "I don't want to hear any more of your self-pity. If it matters to you that much, then...no, I don't think you're weak, Minako. Not at all." He sounded a bit disgruntled in having to console her. He didn't really know if he wanted to say the next bit, so he lowered his voice and muttered mainly to himself, unsure if she could hear him, "I wouldn't...choose any other as my partner."

Even though she couldn't see his face, Minako smiled as she heard that last bit, knowing that he was struggling with those words. She could certainly live through all the teasing and insults if she had moments like these with him. "Thank you, Minato-kun...it means a lot to me," she replied rather softly as she closed her eyes, getting sleepier with the Jack Frost doll there as her pillow.

"Tch..." Narrowing his eyes, he kept his head propped up while still not looking back at her. _Always so energetic, confident and determined...if that was what it meant to be weak, then I'd..._ Getting irritated at himself, he finally turned around to try and make one of his snarky comments, but he stopped himself when he realized that she had fallen asleep. Minato sighed as he stood up from his chair and grabbed the plate and fork. After washing it and putting it away, he moved back to the sleeping girl. The thought of carrying her back to her room made him frown. She really tested his patience, even when she wasn't awake to do it.

Walking behind the front desk, he rummaged through items before finding a marker. Making his way back to her, he made no hesitation to start drawing on her face. Given, he wasn't the best artist, but skill wasn't needed when all he did was draw silly circles around her eyes and face while giving her whiskers. When he was done with his masterpiece, he returned the marker before he came back to her and finally pulled out her chair. Hoping not to wake her, he slipped an arm behind her back and underneath her legs, picking her up bridal style.

As he started climbing the stairs, he noticed that the auburn-haired girl seemed surprisingly light to him, even while she was carrying that Jack Frost doll. Irked at his own thoughts, the urge to make a snarky comment in this situation felt necessary, "I'm sure you're already regretting eating cake in the middle of the night...I know I am. Carrying you might not be so difficult if – "

Minako squirmed a bit in his arms before she exhaled, "Jerk..."

Freezing in place on the stairs, his blue eyes were cast down to see if she had suddenly awoken. To his relief, she was still sleeping. He was certain he would've gotten an earful had she been given the chance to reply when she was awake. Continuing to ascend, Minato made it to the third floor and moved down the hallway. Finding her room, he wondered if he needed to wake her up so he could get in, but as he tested the doorknob, the door opened easily.

"...Idiot," he muttered, realizing that she had forgotten to lock her door before she left. While it may not have had great importance at the time, it seemed like such a childish thing to do, especially in a mixed gender dorm. Sighing, the blue-haired male pushed his way in and moved to her bed. Laying her down with the doll still in her arms, he pulled the sheets over before he turned to leave.

…_I'll come see you again when it's over..._

Turning around instantly, Minato looked around the girl's room to see where that voice had come from. Holding still for a few moments, he was only rewarded with silence. For the moment, the voice seemed to have disappeared. At first even he thought he was frightened by the voice, but that wasn't it. It felt more like a mix of confusion and sadness that filled him whenever he heard that voice. Clenching his teeth, Minato quickly left the room and closed the door behind him. If anything, he hoped the voice was only plaguing him and none of the others.

Narrowing his eyes and looking down the empty hallway again, he finally returned to his room just before the Dark Hour ended.

* * *

.::|| Wow, it has been a while since I've updated. I apologize for the wait; I've been very busy. It was difficult to get into the mood of writing again after such a long break, so hopefully it's decently written. I only did a quick run through after I finished, so there may be a few mistakes here and there. Thanks for reading and I'm looking forward to more of your wonderful reviews!


	10. Chapter 09: An Interlude

**Chapter 09: An Interlude**

Yawning, Minato finished putting on his grey double-breasted jacket and picked up his earphones. While he was trying to clear his mind of it, that voice from the night before was still a bother to him. Not only that, but he had to spend time with that annoyance. He sighed as a knock came at the door, making his way over to it. _Start of Golden Week...Constitution Day was it? Hopefully I can actually get some rest over these few days..._ Just as he opened the door, with his other hand placing on his earphones, he stumbled backward as something was thrown in his face. Minato pulled it away to find that Jack Frost doll in his hands.

"Morning," an irritated voice came from beyond the doorway.

Lowering the doll, his blue hues came across the auburn-haired girl with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. Despite her attempt to look like she was ticked off at him, it was difficult for him to feel intimidated when her clothes were so bright in comparison, as she was dressed in a light orange sweater, a red plaid skirt, black leggings, and red boots. Her own red earphones hung beneath the red scarf she wore. Still, he certainly knew why she would greet him in this way. "Morning to you too – "

"It took forever to wash that marker off my face, Minato-kun," the auburn-haired girl spoke as she stepped into his room, taking the Jack Frost doll away from him and bringing it into her arms. If anything, it made her even less intimidating than she had looked before. "Thankfully only Yukari-chan saw me before I washed it all of, but that was super childish of you, Minato-kun. Even after I thought we had such a nice talk..."

Was she reprimanding him? Had there been anything to feel bad about, it was that he was being scolded by this girl. "It was your fault for falling asleep on me after having insisted that I accompany you to have your late night snack," he sighed, "You probably shouldn't have had that slice, anyways. My arms are still sore after having – "

Minako stopped the blue jerk from uttering another word as she raised the Jack Frost doll in both of her hands, showing the intention of just beating him with it. Her face was slightly red, "I-Idiot! You don't say that kind of thing to a girl!"

"Oh?" he didn't sound intimidated as he took a step closer to her with an amused smirk, "You shouldn't worry about it too much. Maybe if you're lucky, that **extra** weight might go to the right places so you can have a reason to be worried about your figure." The blue-haired male made sure to put plenty of emphasis on that key word.

Minako was almost caught off guard at how far the blue jerk was going with his teasing. Her face burned red as she was about to swing down at him, "Y-You...!"

"You two never let up, do you? Making such a commotion this early in the morning..." Yukari's voice could be heard down the hallway, followed by her approaching footsteps, "What's wrong, Nako-chan? Is Minato-kun teasing you again?" She came into view dressed in a long pink jacket and brown boots, with her usual heart-shaped choker.

Narrowing his eyes, Minato sighed at her words. Although he hadn't clashed much with the brunette, he was certain that she'd side with the auburn-haired girl. "Not really teasing," he started, wondering how he could play it in his favor, "Just stating some facts she might not have wanted to hear."

Minako glared at the blue jerk before quickly lowering the Jack Frost doll to her chest, exhaling deeply to try and control herself. Even though she always wanted to be optimistic, there were certain limits. And he was the one to always tick her off by tossing aside any friendly gestures she tried with him. Taking a deep breath, she backed out of his room and stood next to Yukari, "Don't listen to this jerk, Yukari-chan! It's worse than plain teasing... He goes too far and always does it to me! It's so frustrating!"

The Jack Frost doll caught the brunette's eyes before she turned to the blue-haired male, "Hmm~? Minato-kun only really picks on Nako-chan, doesn't he?"

Narrowing his eyes at the brunette, Minato knew what would follow a comment like that.

Yukari gave a smug smile at the response from the blue-haired male, "What's wrong, Minato-kun? I wasn't going to say anything at all~" Giggling to herself, she shook her head, "Anyways, Nako-chan, where did you get this doll from?"

Both of the Arisatos blinked. It took her a moment, but the auburn-haired girl directed a cheeky smile at the jerk, "Oh, this Jack Frost doll~? It was a gift from someone."

Minato would never hear the end of it. While he wasn't that concerned with the others in the dorm finding out, he was certain that Yukari would make it known to their classmates that he had done something so unlike him.

It was such a tempting opportunity to exact revenge, but Minako held herself back as she gave a small shrug, "Hmm...I don't think I remember from who though, unfortunately... It was kind of a confession present, but he ran off before I could even get a good look at his face!" She smiled at Yukari after her small fib, although she was somewhat unsure why she was even trying to protect the blue jerk's pride.

"Really? That's too bad... This thing's really cute though, isn't it?" Yukari returned the smile as she gently patted the Jack Frost doll before she turned to Minato again, "Oh, one more thing, Minato-kun! It's one thing to draw on someone's sleeping face for fun, but you shouldn't have entered a girl's room without permission. I guess it couldn't have been helped, and it's not that I think you're _that_ kind of person, but..." The brunette paused before giving him a playful smile, "It's always the quiet ones we should be careful about, right~?" Giggling again, she stepped away and waved back at them while walking toward the stairs, "I've got to get going to meet some friends of mine, but we should do something tomorrow or Tuesday!"

Frowning at her words, Minato stepped out of his room and closed the door as the brunette walked away. It was frustrating to deal with that particular girl sometimes. Sighing, he leaned back against the door while looking down the hallway, away from the auburn-haired girl, "So? Why didn't you let her laugh at my stupid apology?"

"I didn't think it was stupid at all."

Such a quick and simple answer. He should have expected it from a simple-minded girl like her. Minato turned to meet her gaze, finding that confidence she always put in her words. He wondered where she drew such confidence from, especially after he had provoked her mercilessly.

"I know you think it was dumb, but..." Her arms tightened around the doll, "I'll say that it was because of that I still have hope for you~"

What an irritating comment. Minato wasn't sure if that was meant to be a compliment or an insult. "Don't get your hopes up," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"We'll see~" She was quick to recover, as if she had completely forgotten their earlier conversation, "Anyways, Minato-kun, were you planning on going somewhere today?"

_...Inevitable._ He shrugged, "Not really."

Smiling, Minako nodded, stepping closer to him, "Then we can do something together right? I'll think of it as the return favor for not saying anything to Yukari!"

He narrowed his eyes at her, "Is that why you...?"

That unfaltering smile. "Maybe~"

_This girl..._

* * *

Minako skipped up the stairs and turned around at the top, calling out to the male slowly climbing up, "Hurry up!" In one hand was a small, see-through plastic container with fresh takoyaki and in the other was a Mad Bull, a drink that she had bought back at their dorm before leaving.

The blue-haired male climbed the stairs slowly with an unamused expression on his face. The first thing they did when they left the dorm was go to Octopia at the Iwatodai Station and buy themselves each a box of takoyaki. It looked questionable, but he was certain it was edible. Hopefully. He had also bought a can of Mad Bull, although he regretted it because of the way that annoyance reacted so happily to see that they had the same tastes.

Finally reaching the top of the stairs, he felt a breeze come by as he looked around Naganaki Shrine, "Why did you want to come here of all places?"

"Don't you think it's a perfect place to eat? It's always quiet up here, so there are no distractions, and it's a great place to enjoy the wonderful weather!" That smile never left her face as she slowly wandered further in, looking for a suitable place to eat. She didn't get too far though, as she stopped when she was looking toward the small playground.

He frowned at her energetic words, but he followed her nevertheless until she stopped. Looking in the same direction, his blue hues came across a small girl with her brown hair braided into two buns while carrying a red backpack. She was leaning against the green bars of the jungle gym with her hands on the straps of her backpack, and she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts as she just stared at the ground. "An elementary student? Do you know her or – hey!" He kept his voice low so they wouldn't catch the kid's attention, but the auburn-haired girl had already started walking over to her. An irritated expression came across his face before he followed behind.

There was nothing to really explain her desire to interact with others, but Minako knew the moment she saw the elementary student that she wanted to introduce herself. She felt like the girl might have wanted some company, considering that she was playing by herself on the small playground. The auburn-haired girl smiled as she stopped in front of the small girl, holding her items in one hand as she smoothed out her skirt beneath her before she crouched down, "Hi there~"

The brown-haired kid almost jumped at the sudden appearance of the two older students, but she brought out a smile of her own and nodded to Minako, "Hi, I'm Maiko. Who are you? Mom and Dad said not to talk to bad people... Are you bad?"

What was she trying to do? Minato was still annoyed at how sporadic the auburn-haired girl was, but his eyes eventually moved to the kid when she asked her question. "Yeah, real – " He was interrupted as the auburn-haired girl lightly slapped his pants leg.

Giving the blue jerk a quick glare, Minako turned back to Maiko and gave her a reassuring smile, "Don't listen to him; he's actually pretty harmless."

_Harmless?_ He felt as if he was being emasculated in front of the kid.

"But no, we're definitely good!" Minako said confidently.

Maiko tilted her head as she looked from the blue-haired one to the auburn-haired one, "Reeeeally? You're not lying, are you?"

She shook her head, "Definitely not! Pinky swear! Oh, by the way, I'm Minako, and he's..." Minako looked up at him, pausing for a moment as if she was having second thoughts, "...Minato. He's sometimes a little mean, but I think it's way of showing that he wants to be good friends~"

The sheer temptation of retaliating was strong, but even he knew he had to restrain himself in front of the kid. He only sighed and tried to keep his mouth shut.

The small brown-haired girl looked up at them with her large brown eyes and smiled happily, giving a small bow to the two of them as their names were said, "It's nice to meet you both! If you wanted to play, I can't right now because I'm hungry. There's something I really want that..." Her words drifted off as what they were holding caught her eye.

It was certainly too obvious for the two older students. Minako giggled softly before raising the takoyaki box in between them, "If you're hungry, do you want to join us for lunch? We have plenty to share if you like takoyaki! We also have Mad Bull if you're thirsty."

Her brown eyes brightened as she was offered the food, and she gave a Minako a wonderfully energetic smile, "Really?! They're are both my favorite! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

The auburn-haired girl couldn't help but adore the way Maiko was acting. "Well then, let's head over to the benches so we can relax under the shade!" She stood up as Maiko quickly scurried over to the benches. "She's absolutely precious...don't you think so, Minato-kun?"

"You're not getting any of mine if you share all of yours with her," was all Minato said as he walked ahead of her, making his way to Maiko and sitting down on one side of the same bench.

Her shoulders dropped at his reply. She knew she shouldn't have expected anything more from the blue jerk. Pepping herself up, Minako quickly walked over to the other two and sat down on the other side of the small girl. Opening the plastic container, she picked up the toothpick provided and speared one of the still hot takoyaki balls. Handing it to Maiko, she picked up the second toothpick from the same container and speared one for herself.

Minato watched the other two as they happily ate the takoyaki. While he didn't mention it, because they both had such blissful expressions on their faces from the takoyaki, they really did look like sisters. Opening up his own container, he started to eat his takoyaki as well.

Maiko speared a second takoyaki ball from Minako's container while her legs swung over the edge of the bench, "You two are so nice! Will you two be my friends?" She asked while gobbling down on the second one, looking from one side to the other.

It was certainly a very direct request, but neither of them had any objections. Especially Minako, "Of course, Maiko-chan~" She looked to the blue jerk expectantly.

He gave a small frown at the auburn-haired girl's look, but he looked down at the brown-haired girl to see her curious eyes gazing up at him. "...Yeah. I guess it can't hurt."

Despite that somewhat reluctant tone, Maiko's eyes brightened at his answer and her legs swung a bit faster in excitement, "Yay! I'm so happy!"

Minako giggled at how cute the small girl was being as she reached across and speared one of the takoyaki balls from the blue jerk's container. She gave him a fairly smug look as she bit into it, "As we're all friends here, you should eat some from Minato-kun's too, Maiko-chan~"

He narrowed his eyes at the way that annoying girl was playing the game. Still, he didn't say anything to go against it as he held out the plastic container for the kid, "Yeah, yeah..."

Maiko ate happily from the blue-haired one's as well as she slowly filled herself up. "Eheheh~ Onee-chan and Onii-chan are so nice!"

It was heartwarming to hear Maiko get so familiar and close to them already, and Minako couldn't help but scoot a bit closer to the small girl and offered her opened Mad Bull drink. "By the way, Maiko-chan, isn't there cram school today? How come you aren't there right now?"

Setting down the toothpick inside Minato's plastic container, she took the Mad Bull can with both of her hands and drank from it before letting out a satisfied sound. "It was cancelled today, but I don't know why. Mom and Dad didn't really tell me anything more." She took another sip from Minako's Mad Bull before handing it back to her.

Both of the plastic containers were empty now, and they were set aside as the two older students drank from their Mad Bull. "So, Maiko..." The blue-haired male started, "Do you play here often? I don't really come here that often, but if you're here wanting company again, I don't mind..."

The two girls had a somewhat surprised look in their eyes, but Maiko broke out of the silence before hugging Minato's left arm, "Really really? That's a promise, right? I want Onee-chan to come too!"

Minako recovered a bit slowly, but she nodded and agreed, "Y-Yeah, of course I'll come too. We'll see you whenever we can, okay? We can play lots next time!"

The brown-haired girl smiled even wider as she hugged Minako's right arm next, "Yay! I'll be waiting for you two, okay? So definitely come!" Laughing happily to herself, she jumped off the bench and turned around while walking backwards. She waved her hand energetically with that precious smile on her face, "I have to get home now or I'll make Mom and Dad worried, but I can't wait for next time! It's a promise, okay?"

Crossing her legs while she sat, Minako smiled back as she waved just as energetically, "Until next time~!"

Minato gave a small smirk at how overjoyed the kid seemed to be, but he gave a small wave with a nod as his farewell.

"Bye bye!" Maiko called out one last time before turning around and running off, disappearing as she went down the stairs.

A sigh came from the blue-haired student's as he leaned back, taking another sip from the Mad Bull, "She reminds me a lot of you, you know. Always so overbearingly energetic..."

"Oh~?" Minako smiled as she scooted closer to him, "Is that so? You seem to treat her so much nicer than me though. Are you a person that likes kids, Minato-kun?" Unable to help herself, she raised her hand and poked at his cheek again like she had done so many times before, "It wouldn't hurt to smile and be more energetic when you're happy too, Minato-kun!"

He quickly pushed away the hand at his cheek as he frowned, "Who's happy? And it's not that I like kids, but...she seemed to enjoy our company. While I'd rather not spend my time like that, I wouldn't want to make her cry by telling her we might not meet again. Besides, she's not even close to being as annoying as you – hey! What are you..." Minato narrowed his eyes as the annoying girl was clearly happily giggling to herself upon hearing his words.

"It's nothing, it's nothing!" She raised her hands and waved them a bit to dismiss her giggling, "It's just...I wonder what our classmates would say if they heard you say things like that. But don't worry!" She quickly added the last part as Minato gave her an almost frightening look, "I won't say anything to them...just like the doll you gave me, right?" The auburn-haired girl gave him a smile before drinking the rest of her Mad Bull, "Ah~ You seem to hold yourself back when we're with little Maiko-chan. We should definitely come play with her as much as possible! I think it'd be good for you."

His brow twitched at her words before he drained the rest of his drink. She was finding more and more ways to deal with him. Standing up, he picked up his trash and started walking away, "I didn't know you had it in you to be so manipulative."

Minako quickly grabbed her things and ran up beside him, pushing her shoulder lightly against his arm, laughing with a bright smile on her face, "Don't think too much about it, _Onii-chan~!_"

* * *

Back in his school uniform again, Minato walked toward the Gekkoukan High School with hands in pockets. Those extra days off had seemed to pass by too quickly. The rest of the Sunday had been filled with senseless blabbering from that annoyance. He had regrettably spent the entire day Monday playing the online game Junpei had given him, although he had met an interesting person while playing. Then yesterday, Tuesday, he had been dragged out by both that annoying girl and Yukari to eat out, and then they were joined by Junpei to have some 'fun' at karaoke. It was already Wednesday now, and it almost felt like he didn't have a break before returning to the grind called school. As he approached the school gates, he glanced to the side at a pair of girls, overhearing their conversation.

One of the female students sighed, "Golden Week is over. I'm pretty sad... You know, rabbits can die from sadness."

The other female student looked skeptical, "Okay... First, you're not a rabbit. And second, that's just a rumor."

"What?! No way! I thought it was a scientific fact..." She paused before quickly changing the subject, "Speaking of being sad... I saw an elementary school kid at Naganaki Shrine the last time I visited. She looked so sad playing all by herself. I felt sorry for her..."

Tilting her head, the female student replied, "Why didn't you ask to play with her then?"

She shook her head, "No way! Wouldn't that be weird if an older stranger approached you and asked to play with you? It'd be even weirder if I had done that and I was a guy..."

Minato hung his head as he entered the school courtyard.

* * *

Stretching her arms above her head, Minako walked toward the lounge Thursday evening. "School feels like it's getting longer! I can't wait till midterms come and go. I'm getting too worked up over them!" She sighed as she plopped down on the couch next to Yukari.

Yukari giggled at her friend's words, "I know, right? But, Nako-chan, we should prepare for something in case anything happens..."

Minato and Junpei came to the lounge and sat down in the two armchairs, and the blue-haired student looked at the brunette, "What're you talking about?"

"I'm just getting...worried," the brunette fidgeted somewhat, "After all, nothing has happened since that one day. Is it just me, or are more people getting Apathy's Syndrome lately? I have a feeling something bad is going to happen...or am I just being paranoid?"

Junpei quickly sat up, shaking his head, "Definitely not, Yuka-tan! I've noticed them too. There are so many of those freaks appearing in town lately. Other than that, nothing's really been going on..." He sighed as he leaned back in his chair again, "Man, talk about boring... We should go to Tartarus for a little action to keep us in shape in case something really does happen."

"Maybe I should come along...I'm dying of boredom too," Akihiko said as he came into the lounge, sitting down on the empty couch.

A disgruntled sound came from the redhead as she joined the rest of the group, sitting down next to the male boxer, "...Akihiko, are you trying to make me angry?" She gave a relenting sigh as she knew that he was always itching to get into a brawl. "Anyways, it really has been quite odd with how quiet it's been."

"Referring to the shadows, I take it?" Akihiko picked up a magazine from the table in the middle.

Mitsuru nodded while deep in thought, "It's been a month since the last attack, yet I'm certain that won't be the last time they appear outside of Tartarus."

"True... Everyone has noticed it already. The Lost are everywhere, so something must be going on..." Akihiko lowered his voice as he flipped through the magazine, trying to busy himself.

Unconsciously, Minato and Minako exchanged a glance. They had no reason to believe so, but their bodies recognized the approaching danger. Sighing, Minato stood up, "Mitsuru-senpai, let's go to Tartarus tonight."

The mature redhead looked at the blue-haired boy before smiling, "Good idea. There's no use worrying about something that might not happen. Let's just prepare ourselves for what may come."

* * *

Minako took a deep breath as she stepped outside of the school and into the courtyard, noticing how already there was the evening sky above her. Reaching out and rolling her arms a bit, she tried to get rid of the sore muscles she got from both going to Tartarus and Friday volleyball practice.

"...What are you doing?"

She paused as she recognized the blue jerk's voice. Turning around, she put her hands on her hips as she could tell he was itching to poke fun at her, "I'm stretching! I don't think I did enough during practice, so – "

Minato frowned as he kept hand on the shinai sheath across his shoulder while his other hand was in his pocket. "You look like an idiot doing it in the courtyard when no one else is around."

"...Anyways." Huffing a bit, she tried to calm herself down so she wouldn't get frustrated over the jerk's teasing. Walking up to him, she looked up at him before glancing at the shinai case he carried, "You went to practice today too, Minato-kun? I've never seen you carrying this around... Is it yours?"

He shook his head, "It's a loan from Kazushi, a classmate that's also in kendo club."

"Hmm? Is that so..." The auburn-haired girl kept looking at the shinai before smiling up at him again, "Are there cute girls in kendo club? I can only imagine why you decided to join kendo club out of all the options~"

Minato sighed, closing his eyes irritably, "The only reason I joined a damn sports club at all was because you and our senpais urged me to do so. Besides, it's a safe haven knowing you can't run your loud mouth at me during those hours."

She knew something like that was coming, but she was still somewhat disappointed. "You didn't answer my question, you know."

Before Minato could bring out another line against her, someone stopped beside the two of them. She had short light black hair tied in a short ponytail. "Hey, Minato-kun, Minako-chan! What are you two doing out here?"

It took a moment before the auburn-haired girl smiled and greeted her, "Nice to see you again, Yuko-chan! And..." She glanced at the blue jerk, "...nothing really. We were just chatting after having finished with our practices."

"Ah, that reminds me! How is Rio doing? Last time I came by it looked a little rough for her, ahaha..." Yuko gave a nervous laugh as she remembered how the other members in volleyball treated their captain.

Minako shook her head, "The other members haven't come back yet, but I know Rio will definitely pull through. I believe in her!"

Yuko smiled at her enthusiasm, "That's right! I'm glad someone like you is sticking around with her. I'm sure she'll be fine with someone like you backing her up." She paused for a moment, "Ah, I forgot, you two live in the same dorm, right?"

The blue-haired student had considered just leaving while the two talked, but he was brought back in by Yuko's question. He grimaced slightly at the thought, "Yeah, we do, but I wouldn't call it a favorable situation..."

"Ignore him," Minako quickly cut in, jabbing her index finger at his cheek again.

Yuko laughed at how the two treated each other before she started to back away, "Well, it's nice to see you two get somewhat along I guess. I'll see you around sometime, okay, Minako-chan? And I expect to see you during practice on Monday, Minato-kun!" With that, she turned and jogged away.

Just when Minato stepped away from that finger, the auburn-haired girl quickly followed, "Hey, hey, Minato-kun. Do you like Yuko-chan at all?"

He narrowed his eyes as he just started walking toward the gates, "What kind of question is that?"

"Stop trying to avoid the question!"

Minako pestered him all the way back to the dorm.

* * *

Minato let out a loud sigh as he essentially collapsed on his desk.

"Tired, Minato-kun?" asked the auburn-haired girl, gathering her things before coming to stand next to his desk.

Another sigh. "What was your first clue?"

"Come on, man! It's Saturday, so don't waste it sleeping. We should go do some late night karaoke or something!" Junpei's energetic voice grew louder as he approached them.

Yukari placed her books on Minato's head before she rummaged through her bag for something, "I might really go deaf this time if I go with you to karaoke again, Junpei."

"Don't be jealous of my vocals, Yuka-tan! My singing can make any girl fall for me."

The brunette picked up the books from Minato's head and started placing them in her bag, "Oh? That's why you have a great history of girlfriends, right?"

"...It doesn't work sometimes, yeah?"

Minako giggled at the back and forth before lowering herself to poke at the blue-haired student's cheek again, "Join the fun, Minato-ku – "

"Stop with this damn poking already," he growled as he sat up and grabbed her prodding right hand with his left.

_...will be a full moon. Be careful. A new ordeal awaits you..._

Minako tore her hand away, her bright red eyes widening as she backed up into her own desk.

The brunette tilted her head at their sudden actions. She looked down at the blue-haired student as he was keeping still, as if something had gone wrong. "What's wrong, you two?"

Minato blinked and lowered his hand before he stood up from his desk, "It's...It's nothing." He certainly wasn't very convincing.

Swallowing, she held her hand at her chest before looking past Minato and toward their other two companions, "Junpei-kun, Yukari-chan...is...is there a full moon tonight?"

The cap-wearing male was just as confused as the brunette, but he answered after exchanging a glance with Yukari, "Uh, yeah, I think so. Why? You afraid of full moons or something, Nako-chan?"

It was Minato's turn to swallow. Exhaling slowly, he slipped his hands into his pockets and turned away from the others, "...I'm heading back. I recommend you all do the same. It's best to rest up in case anything happens."

As the blue-haired student walked away, Minako lowered her hand before looking toward Junpei and Yukari with renewed light in her eyes, "Don't...Don't worry about him! But...I think he's right though. I mean, I hear the cases of Apathy's Syndrome are getting worse...and just over night! It might be safer if we make sure to be extra prepared for the next few days...okay?" She received questionable looks which made her worried.

He honestly didn't know what was going on, but he rubbed the back of his head before relenting, nodding to the auburn-haired girl, "Alright, alright...I guess you're right, Nako-chan. Besides, if both of you actually agreed on something, that must mean trouble, right Yuka-tan?"

The brunette gave Minako a smile, essentially ignoring Junpei, "You don't have to look so worried, Nako-chan. Here, we can all walk home together, okay?"

Relief washed over her as she nodded happily, "Both of you...thank you." Minako followed her two comrades out of the room as her free hand at her side rolled into a fist.

_That voice...again..._

* * *

Mitsuru sighed softly as she worked by herself in the green-tinted command room at the support terminal, not wanting to let down her guard at all, especially when it was the Dark Hour.

"You're still at it?" Akihiko closed the door behind him before walking to stand next to the redhead.

Nodding, she never took her eyes off of the screens, "Yeah. You never know when the enemy might appear. How are the others?"

He let a soft chuckle escape his lips, "They seemed rather agitated by something when I saw them this evening, but they tired themselves out worrying over nothing and went to bed a while ago." He stayed quiet for a few moments before glancing at her, "...I thought you couldn't scan outside of Tartarus?"

The mature redhead showed some signs of relief that the others seemed to be doing alright, but she quickly frowned at his question. "To be honest, I lack the power... Maybe this is the best Penthesilea can do in terms of data gathering." She wasn't frustrated at him, but she was more disappointed in her own lack of ability. "Although, the power of Persona seems to be much broader than I thought. We've even got someone who can switch Personas in the middle of battle, and I'm sure our other special member could do the same. There's just...something unique about their abilities. It hasn't been that long since their awakening, either..."

"I have to admit, I was surprised too. But..." Akihiko closed his eyes as he crossed his arms, "In the end, it's up to them whether or not they can reach their full potential."

Mitsuru smiled, but before she could reply, something rang through her mind. "Huh...?" Widening her eyes, it took her a moment before registering what it was. "It's a Shadow!"

"What?! You actually found one?!"

After a pause, she slowly shook her head, "Wait...something's not right. The reading is too big. We've never encountered something anything like – "

Akihiko knew exactly what she was talking about, "You mean, it's one of those?!"

"...It must be," Mitsuru nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Akihiko smirked as he slammed his fist into his palm, "Well then, this is going to be fun. I'll wake up the others." He stepped forward and pressed a switch on the panel to turn on the alarm.

The redhead was still a bit absorbed with what she had found, "...Indeed."

* * *

Everyone arrived in the room in a hurry. "We're here!" announced Yukari as she was at the head of the group of four.

"Where is it?! I'll rip it a new one!" Junpei was clearly itching for a fight.

Mitsuru turned away from the terminal and faced the others, "We've detected a Shadow outside of Tartarus. We don't know for sure, but we think it's another big one. We have to defeat any of them we find, as quickly as possible. Most people don't know the Dark Hour exists, but if half the city is destroyed, there will be panic." She took a step forward, and they could all see how serious she was about this mission. "This must be avoided at all costs. Understood?"

Smirking, the cap-wearing nodded, "In other words, we need to kick some ass, right? Well, count me in!"

The brunette shook her head, "Junpei..."

Mitsuru smiled at the energy from Junpei before looking over to the boxing captain, "Akihiko, you stay here and wait for the Chairman."

He was certainly taken aback by her order, "Wha-?! Are you kidding?! I'm going!"

The redhead was quite stern with her decision, "You still need to recover. You'll just be a hindrance."

"What?!"

Mitsuru continued, "They'll fare better than you, in your current state. Have some faith in them, Akihiko..." She made eye contact with him. "They're ready."

His fists shook at his sides, but he relented, "...Dammit."

"Relax, Senpai! I've got it covered!" Junpei smiled toward Akihiko.

After a moment, he nodded before turning to the two Arisatos, "I guess I've got no choice... You two are in charge again."

Junpei's shoulders dropped, "Them again...?"

"We're counting on you..." the redhead met their gazes.

While she was still somewhat shook up from what happened before, especially when she had yet to find time to talk with the blue-haired male, Minako nodded and showed determination in her eyes, "Leave it to me!"

Minato looked toward the auburn-haired girl before shrugging, "I'll see what I can do."

Akihiko crossed his arms approvingly, "I know you two can handle this."

"Guess it's pretty much decided that you two are our leaders, huh...?" Junpei faced the two leaders now with a rather disappointed look. "...tch, stuck playin' the leaders again. Sucks to be you guys."

The boxing captain stepped in, "Alright, you four shouldn't stall any longer. Hurry and go on ahead." He turned to Mitsuru, "You need to get ready, right?"

She nodded, "Indeed. Let's rendezvous in front of the station."

Yukari nodded, "Got it. Alright, let's go!"

* * *

Minato looked about as he stood amongst the group of four. They were waiting on the stairs of the monorail station. Was the Shadow nearby? He sighed softly as they waited for their support.

"Where is she?" the brunette also seemed a bit impatient.

Junpei took a drink from a bottle, "She'll be here soon."

Yukari looked up at the sky, getting a few shivers from the atmosphere. "There's a full moon tonight...but it looks even creepier during the Dark Hour."

The auburn-haired girl fidgeted somewhat as she stood next to the blue-haired male, but she stepped closer to him after a moment and lowered her voice, "Hey, Minato-kun...about before and the full moon – "

He cut her off as he heard the sound of an engine, "Save it for after this encounter. Just forget it for now; it'll be a distraction." The auburn-haired girl only nodded.

A large motorcycle came by and parked right in front of them. Mitsuru took off her helmet and met their curious gazes, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"A motorcycle...?" Yukari was first to vocalize her surprise at seeing their Senpai riding such a thing.

The redhead cleared her throat, "Listen carefully. Tonight, I'll be providing support from here. Everything else is the same. The Shadow is currently located in a monorail, not far from the station. To get there, you'll have to walk on the tracks."

"Are you serious?! Isn't that dangerous?" Junpei couldn't imagine doing something like that.

Mitsuru shook her head, "Don't worry, no electronic equipment is operable during the Dark Hour, including the monorails."

The cap-wearing student glanced at her motorcycle, "But, your bike..."

"It's special," the redhead answered simply. "Now, if circumstances change, I'll notify you immediately. Let's get started."

Minako could tell that everyone was tense, so she took a deep breath and raised her fist, "Alright! Everyone, let's roll out!"

The brunette was caught a bit off guard, "Huh?! O-Okay!"

Junpei raised a brow as he followed them when they moved out, "Is this how we're gonna do this...?"

"This isn't a game, you know..." Minato grumbled underneath his breath as he led with the auburn-haired girl beside him. It didn't take long before for them to climb onto the tracks and start walking toward the stopped monorail. The group stayed fairly quiet while they tried to keep their focus. While Junpei hadn't experienced the first time this kind of Shadow appeared, the other three knew they couldn't let their guard down for even a moment.

They eventually came across a monorail on the tracks and stood in front of it. Yukari swallowed as she looked up at it, "This is it...right?"

Mitsuru's rang through the transceiver, "Can you all hear me?"

"Yes, I can hear you clearly," the brunette replied as she put her hand to her ear, "We just got here, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary..."

There was a pause, followed by static, and then that familiar voice again, "The readings are definitely from that monorail. Proceed with caution, and stay together."

Junpei smirked as he wound up his arm, "Heheh, my Persona's just beggin' to be used! Let's find this thing quick and kick its ass!"

The brunette nodded as she took the lead and climbed onto the foothold leading to the train door. After reaching halfway, she quickly looked back at them, "...Don't look up."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Junpei shrugged, "...But don't blame me if I happen to catch a glimpse."

Minako let out a sigh as she walked in front of him and pulled his cap down to cover his eyes, "You'll go last, Junpei-kun. Don't peek until then."

The blue-haired student watched with an uninterested look, "Idiot."

* * *

After they all entered the last car of the monorail, they were met by coffin-like objects sitting by the seats.

Junpei furrowed his brow as he approached the closest one, "This poor stiff must be a passenger, huh..."

The brunette walked up behind him, about to pull him away and reprimand him to keep him focused, but she was interrupted when all of the doors suddenly shut around them. "Wh-Wha?!"

The transceiver came through again, "What's wrong? What happened?!"

Minako swallowed nervously, gripping her naginata weapon as they all began preparing themselves for a battle, "It looks like we're trapped inside..."

A frustrated sound came from the other side of the transceiver, "It must be the Shadow... It knows you're there. Be ready for anything! Proceed with extreme caution!"

Tightening her hold on her bow, Yukari nodded to herself, "R-Roger!"

Exhaling slowly, Minato kept his sword readied at his side as he took the lead, progressing through the last car of the monorail successfully before they entered the next car.

"...I don't see any Shadows," Junpei muttered, sounding just a bit disappointed.

Yukari shot him a glare when she knew that he was looking for a fight, "Be quiet! Stop trying to look for a – " She was interrupted by a floating Shadow suddenly appearing in front of them. Gasping, she raised her bow for a shot, but it quickly scurried away and into the next monorail car.

Both of his hands tightened around the hilt of his massive sword, Junpei ran past Minato and chased after it into the next car, "Hey, get back here!"

Minako started to run after him, "Junpei-kun, wait!"

"Watch out! Behind you!" Mitsuru's voice could be heard again.

Yukari let out a squeak as two Shadows dropped down behind her, and she quickly jumped away toward Minato as she raised her bow, firing off two arrows.

"Damn it, this is just what the enemy wanted..." Minato growled to himself as he pulled his evoker on himself. Although he didn't want to waste too much energy on the smaller Shadows, he didn't want to waste time when he knew they had to chase after the idiot. "Orpheus!" Just as the two arrows landed in the center of the masks of the two Shadows, their entire bodies were enveloped in flames before disappearing.

The auburn-haired girl had regrouped with the others, although the Shadows had already been defeated by then. She looked back toward the front of the train car as she heard Mitsuru's voice again, "We have no choice. You have to go after him, or you'll be picked off one by one. From what I can tell, he's only a few cars ahead." Minako nodded as she took the lead with the other two following behind.

Yukari growled to herself as she trailed in the back, "Dammit, Stupei! What are you thinking?!" Just when they were about to advance to the next car, three more Shadows materialized to block their way. Narrowing her eyes, she raised the silver gun to her temple, "Get out of our way! Io! Garu!" Her Persona appeared and made quick work with a wind element attack, tearing the Shadows apart to allow Minako to throw the doors open for the next car.

Moving swiftly as a group of three, they passed the next passenger car unhindered and moved on to the following one. The brunette was growing more frustrated as she huffed, "Junpei's not here either... He should know it's too dangerous to go alone." She slowed down a bit as she caught the blue-haired male's attention, "Don't you think he's acting weird? Did you say anything to upset him? Gah, we'll ask him when we've caught up to him!"

Although Minato had yet to express himself, he was also somewhat worried and frustrated about Junpei's actions. "I'm sure he'll be fine," he said to the other two, knowing that they were much more worried than he was.

They moved past the next few cars with little resistance, obliterating all of the minor Shadows in their way. It seemed quite different from their Tartarus experience, as they were new enemies, but there were so few of them, and they seemed to throw their lives away even more so than the ones in the tower.

After entering the sixth car, the three spotted a mob of Shadows surrounding an unmoving human figure.

"Junpei-kun!" Minako acted quicker than the other two as she dashed forward, calling out her Persona swiftly, "Orpheus!" Once her companion materialized, she took her naginata in both hands and swung deftly to avoid hitting Junpei, spearing any Shadow that was not ruined in the bursts of fire she created. Surprisingly, the Shadows relented easily, and the further away ones quickly escaped into the cars ahead, leaving Junpei to just stand there, facing away from the others with his two-handed sword held limply in one hand.

Yukari and Minato came up behind, and the brunette quickly berated him, "You idiot! What were you thinking?! This is what happens when you don't listen! Geez...are you alright at least?"

Minato waited for some witty, bold remark from the cap-wearing male, but they were only rewarded with silence. Narrowing his eyes, he stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, Junpei. What's wro – " He widened his eyes as Junpei's body suddenly twisted and turned toward him. Their eyes met for only a moment, but it was all that the blue-haired male needed. A shiver went down his spine as those greyish eyes of Junpei's shared the same kind of viciousness Akihiko's had during his first Shadow fight. His body remembered the pain, and his mind reminded him of how frightened and useless he was at the time.

_But..._

Clenching his teeth, Minato snapped out of his thoughts as Junpei's katana came at him, for some reason only needing one hand to wield it now. Lifting his blade, he parried it before jumping back, narrowing his eyes while holding out his sword horizontally in front of him.

"J-Junpei-kun?!" Despite her disbelief, the auburn-haired girl had already raised her weapon to fend off any other attacks.

Yukari swallowed, keeping her bow lowered, "What...are you doing, idiot... Get a hold of yoursel – "

Facing them now, Junpei had a bloodthirsty grin on his face as his free hand reached for his evoker.

Static came through the transceiver, "What's...on? Can you...me?! Come in, the...broken..." It didn't take long before there was only silence coming from the other side.

Pressing the barrel of the silver gun against his temple, Junpei pulled the trigger, "Her...mes..." Hermes appeared behind the cap-wearing male, but the once golden wings were now stained black. Minato recognized this feeling all too well. It really was just like the time before, except it had claimed a different one of their friends.

Narrowing his eyes, Minato never took his blue hues off of their comrade, "We're alone in this fight..."

A loud clunking sound could be heard before the train jerked forward. It began to move.

"...Again."

* * *

.::|| I apologize for these slow updates. Classes have started up again, and I'm trying to find time to actually sit down and write. I rushed the last bit of this chapter, as I wanted to end it quicker, but it still ended up being unnecessarily long because I wasn't making enough cuts to the original dialogue. I hope you enjoy it though! Thanks for reading, and I'm looking forward to more of your wonderful reviews!


	11. Chapter 10: Priestess

**Chapter 10: Priestess**

"Why're we moving?!" Yukari looked about wildly, seeing the scenery begin to pass outside the windows.

Minato was slowly inching forward while Junpei stayed still. If it was anything like before, he knew that whatever was controlling their friend was unpredictable. "It seems like they have control over the monorail...and if we can't stop it, it'll eventually crash into another train."

"WHAT?! Oh, God! What are we gonna do?!" the brunette cried out as she moved up in the train, keeping close to the auburn-haired girl.

Swallowing, Minako also started to move forward, spreading out a little in case Junpei decided to initiate the fight, "Calm down a little, Yukari-chan. This happened before on the rooftop when Akihiko was taken under control...so that means another one of _those_ is near here, and if we defeat it..."

The blue-haired male drew his evoker, "We should be able to save Junpei and stop the monorail, but we'll need to find it first. There's nowhere else to look except in the cars further ahead, but I doubt 'Junpei' here will let us by easily."

Jerking again, the monorail was gaining speed.

"You must be kidding..." Yukari bit her lower lip as it all sank in. There wasn't going to be any help from their Senpais, and this time they even had a time limit...in a confined space. Everything was against them in this scenario, especially if they were going to fight another one of those monstrosities. If they did all manage to get past Junpei, he would easily catch up to them and put them at an even greater disadvantage. Taking him out was definitely out the question, and she didn't think it would be safe for someone to battle alone, whether it be against Junpei or against the Shadow.

_But..._

"Minato, Nako-chan..." Taking a deep breath, she raised her bow and quickly nocked an arrow to it. Her brown hues looked down the shaft of the arrow, but she was trembling too much to get a precise shot. Exhaling slowly, the brunette narrowed her eyes, "I'm sorry for leaving it in your hands, but can you two go on ahead? There's no doubt in my mind that you two can handle whatever is in store for us up ahead, and I'd just be a burden if I came along and we were surrounded. We don't have much time, so..." Swallowing, she released the arrow, not wanting to give them any time to argue with her. "Let me handle Junpei! Run!"

The arrow flew past Minato's ear and planted itself in Hermes' neck. An inhuman cry followed as the arrow began to melt into the black tar that dripped from its head. Before either of the leaders could react or disagree with the brunette, Junpei lunged past them and came at Yukari with an overhead swing. Lowering her bow, she did a short hop back before shooting a look at the two leaders, urging them to get a move on. There were no time for words though, as Hermes quickly followed the Persona user, flying over the three in front slamming against the brunette. Yukari had just enough time to raise her bow to try and braced herself, but she still flew back across the monorail car and slammed against the door they had come from. Clenching her teeth, she slid to the floor of the car. Her hand clawed at her side, pulling the silver gun from its holster and pressing it to her forehead, "Io!" Just as her Persona materialized in front of her, Hermes slammed against it, showing its bloodthirsty need to rip apart the brunette. Wincing at the feeling of her Persona being beaten on, she tried to look past them while struggling to her feet, "What are you waiting for?! Get going!"

Minako moved to aid her friend, but she was stopped by the blue jerk stepping in front of her. Before she could say anything, the male narrowed his eyes and pulled her forward, "We don't have time to waste. We'll all be beaten up by the end of all this, but it's better than dying. Remember...she's trusting _you_ with her life. Don't be a fool and throw away the chance she's giving you." He used a rather harsh tone, but he said nothing more, running past her and through the door, advancing to the next car. Minako found it difficult to leave her friend like that, but after she took one last look back, she nodded to herself and ran after the blue-haired male.

Junpei looked back in time to see the auburn-haired girl's back before the door closed. Growling, he sprinted after them, but he was interrupted just before reaching the door as a vortex of wind suddenly enveloped him and threw him against the side of the monorail car. Hermes soon followed, spiraling toward Junpei before slamming against the roof and falling to the floor.

Yukari walked to the middle of the monorail car, brushing off her skirt before letting out a small laugh, "Just because you're our friend doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you, Stupei." She narrowed her eyes as the cap-wearing male jumped to his feet. Io stayed by her side as the brunette raised her bow and nocked an arrow again.

"Let me knock some sense into that empty head of yours."

* * *

Minato cut down another one of the floating Shadows before wiping his brow. He heard a shrill squeal coming from his side as the auburn-haired girl impaled it with her lengthy weapon. A sigh soon followed from the girl, and Minato only smirked as he started to move forward, "The next one is the front car...there's nowhere else for it to hide."

"Do you think...Yukari-chan is alright?" It was clearly still troubling her that they left Yukari as a distraction.

Keeping a hand on his gun, Minato stopped in front of the last door. Without looking back, he gave a small nod, "I'm sure she's fine. Besides, there's no way she'd let someone like Junpei one-up her."

That drew a smile out of her. The auburn-haired girl stepped beside him as she tried to focus, "That's right! Yukari-chan is strong...I know she is, so we have to be strong too and stop this thing, right?"

"Just don't drop your guard," was all he said as he pushed open the door and stepped into the front car.

Minako quickly followed him before the door behind them shut almost instantly. She quickly turned around to check on it before realizing that it wouldn't open anymore. Turning forward again, she noticed that the blue jerk was backing up to her. It wasn't till then that she noticed the flickering lights in that particular car.

At the very front, there was a large figure, one many times larger than they were, that resembled a young woman wearing only the bottom half of a dress. Her whole body seemed to be covered in either white or black, and her exposed chest had the letters B and J on her breasts. That wild hair of hers looked more like scrolls with writing on them, sticking themselves to the wall behind her. It was obvious that this 'Shadow' didn't want them to pass. Just like any other, this Shadow also donned a mask; a red, butterfly-like eye mask. She was sitting sloppily on the floor of the train with her legs spread out.

Minako took a few steps to the side to spread themselves apart again, not wanting to get grouped up, "Wh-What is that...?"

"Obviously our target, but...like before, this thing just gives me a disgustingly bad feeling..." Just as the lights flickered again, Minato swung his sword on instinct as a spear of ice flew at him from the monstrosity's direction, deflecting it and letting it shatter against the wall. _Ice, huh?_ Learning from their experience in Tartarus, he naturally believed that ice elemental attacks wouldn't be very effective against this particular Shadow. "We don't have much time; let's do this as quickly as possible!"

They both rushed forward, weaving and ducking to avoid the barrage of ice spears. Calling out their different Personas, bolts of lightning struck the Shadow as a burst of fire covered the Shadow. Following a cry from the monstrosity, it writhed on the floor before two floating Shadows materialized in front of it. They visibly cast a healing spell over the larger Shadow before focusing on casting their offensive spells. Recovering quickly, the massive Shadow thrust her hand out. Just as Minako slid down on her knees to avoid a burst of fire from the floating Shadows, she glanced to her side just in time to see Minato suddenly thrown onto his back.

_A ranged attack?_ Narrowing her eyes, Minako jumped to her feet and continued on, rushing down the floating Shadows. Just as she slashed down at one, her Orpheus swung its lyre to completely crush the other one. She twisted the lower end of her naginata back around and cut across when coming up with her weapon, easily defeating the Shadow. _I should be handle any of the ice attacks with Agi. All I have to do is – _

"_The Priestess won't be as easy as before. Just like the Magician."_

Her bright crimson eyes widened at the sudden voice in her head.

_This voice...?!_

"...Idiot!"

Minako fell onto her rear when she was pulled back by her shoulder, catching her off balance. She looked up as the blue-haired student stood in front of her, using his silver Orpheus to shield them from a rain of ice spears. It took her a moment before she finally realized what was going on. She had completely lost her focus when that voice presented itself to her at such an inconvenient time. The auburn-haired girl quickly got to her feet and picked up her weapon, "S-Sorry!" Looking up at the Priestess, she realized that the number and strength of the ice lances was rapidly increasing. Just as she brought up her evoker, a sudden explosion sent them all flying. Colliding with the seats at a bad angle with her leg, she flopped back down onto the floor and lost her grip on the silver gun, and she watched on her back as it skidded back against the door they had come from.

Catching himself via the steel bars on the train seats, his blue hues peered forward as he felt that searing pain of his Persona being injured to the point of forcefully disappearing. "Damn it!" Calling out his remaining one, the dog-like Persona appeared beside him to protect him as he tried to get his bearings straights. _What the hell was that explosion?! Agi? No, this Shadow can't – _

The Priestess cocked her head sideways, sending a piercing gaze at the blue-haired male, one that easily made him break into a cold sweat. It was relaying a message.

**I know you.**

He completely lost his train of thought. Minato had never felt like this before, even when he was fighting on the rooftop. Had he fought against the Magician, would it have given him this kind of attention as well? Nevertheless, he couldn't stop his legs from trembling as they were on the brink of collapsing beneath him. Time seemed to move so slowly as fear set in.

"_The Priestess is daring you to kill her...again."_

Gritting his teeth, he tried to block out any other thoughts. He had no time to be thinking about this! Seeing that the auburn-haired girl was struggling to her feet, Minato quickly made his way over to her and offered his hand, keeping Inugami out to provide some sort of protection. "Where's your evoker?" he asked as he realized she didn't have it on her. It would be unbelievably detrimental if one of them lost the ability to summon a Persona.

Minako still couldn't get that voice out of her head, but she forced a smile as she looked up at the blue jerk. She reached out for his hand, but just before her fingertips touched his, that reflexive fear kicked in, and she instantly pulled her hand away. She was surprised by her own actions, but they both easily understood. The auburn-haired girl was letting the fear of that voice get the best of her.

A screech from his left. "Stop thinking about it!" There really was no time to be angry at her. He withdrew his hand as he looked toward the Priestess again to only find another barrage of icicles. Clenching his teeth, he stepped forward with Inugami, to try and block it from getting it to the irritating girl. Minato knew that Inugami was a weaker Persona than Orpheus when it came to defense, but he had to mitigate the damage when it was the only Persona they had left. He did his best to strike down the flying targets, but Inugami was easily overwhelmed before it was made to dematerialize from the amount of damage it took. Enduring two of his Personas being beaten like that already made him weak, but Minato raised his blade as his free hand tightened on his evoker. Maybe there'd be a moment like the time in Tartarus where he'd grasp a new Persona, but things looked grim for him.

Minako only looked up at the blue-haired male as he cut down any incoming attacks. Just when she managed to find strength in her legs, the sound of metal snapping rang in the monorail car. She only caught a glimpse of it, but she watched as the male cut down into one of the last icicles to have his weapon snap. That wasn't the end of it, as they could see the light that burned on the inside of the icicle. It was what had created the explosion. Before he could even think about getting away, it burst right in front of him and he was sent flying yet again. His broken weapon fell next to him as he landed near the end of the train car with a sickening thud, but his evoker had bounced off the iron bars of the seats and clattered near the auburn-haired girl.

"Minato-kun!" The blue-haired male didn't seem to be moving. It had all happened in an instant, and the strength she had found before suddenly disappeared with the sudden sight of the blue-haired Persona user being so easily beaten. Stabbing the floor with her naginata, she used it as a crutch to force herself to her feet, picking up Minato's gun in the process with her left hand. Breathing heavily, she glared at the Priestess as her legs shook underneath her. Bringing the barrel of the gun to her temple, she called out her golden Orpheus. _Trying to win a fight like this..._ She shook the thought out of her mind. _It's my fault that he's hurt like that..._ There was no strategy in mind as she sent Orpheus flying forward, knowing that it was a rash decision, but with the limited room and movement, she could only hope that her attack would land.

Thrusting out her palm again, the Priestess stopped the golden Orpheus in its tracks before sending three larger lances of ice. The Persona was able to blow up the first one with an Agi, but the second one swiftly made its way to it and pierced its chest. Minako winced as she felt the pain in her chest, but she continued to hold out for her Persona as Orpheus grabbed at the third one, stopping it. Deja vu set in as it happened again. The ice crystal in Orpheus's hand shattered and released an explosion that sent it flying to the roof of the monorail, but it disappeared due to the damage it had taken.

She struggled to stay standing from her Persona being forced to dematerialize, almost dropping Minato's evoker. The auburn-haired girl took deep breaths to try and stabilize herself, but it hardly helped as she forced her gaze forward again.

The Priestess cocked her head sideways, but it was in the opposite direction when it had done it to Minato. The auburn-haired girl tried to avoid its gaze, however it was inevitable as their 'eyes' met.

**Feast from you again.**

Again? Everything was happening too fast for her to make sense of it, and she doubted she could even do so when there was time. Nevertheless, Minako braced herself against the fear that coursed through her already struggling body. She couldn't fall here. It was too early, wasn't it? She didn't want to disappear. She didn't want to be 'feasted' on. There were still so many things she wanted to do with the others, her friends. Wasn't it unfair? It had only been a month, and they were already on the brink of disappearing from each others' lives, let alone the world. Swallowing, the auburn-haired girl refused to let her legs collapse underneath her, and she watched the Priestess with wavering crimson hues, struggling to keep them open.

_I still..._

Minako's eyelids slowly fell shut.

That scene played out in her head again. It repeated countless times in her mind that same night it had happened. She stood there with an arm around the large doll, and she was holding out her cellphone, quietly exchanging numbers. Not a word was exchanged between them during this process, but she felt like it was that moment that it happened...albeit even she didn't know what had occurred then.

"_...in case you need me or...I need you."_

Minako forced her eyes open, renewed determination dwelling within them.

_I still...!_

Before she could even act, the Priestess suddenly let out a shriek. Its shrill cry bounced off the walls of the train car...until she slammed her hands down onto the floor. Since the first time they had seen it, the Priestess had moved from its sitting position. The echoing of its cry had finally stopped, but its low growl could easily be heard as it dropped forward onto its hands and knees. Her 'hair' acted wildly around her before extending everywhere along the walls and roof of the car. Without warning, the Priestess began wailing, beating against the ground with her fists as scribbles began to cover the scrolls of her hair, making them illegible. Just as her wailing stopped, she hung her head, and the scrolls of her hair caught flames. Dark flames. It didn't take long before the roof had suddenly been torn off of their car with a loud sound, tossing it away into the water below the moving tracks. The walls soon followed, leaving all that was inside the car bare to the giant eerie moon in the green night sky.

Minako was completely taken aback by what had happened, but she raised the arm holding the evoker to try and deter the strong wind now that they were exposed. She hadn't noticed it before, but they were going even faster than before, which only meant they'd crash soon. They were running out of time. Her hair fluttered in the wind as she closed one eye while peering forward with the other.

The Priestess lifted her mask-covered face as the scrolls of her hair expanded out into the free space, fluttering in the strong wind. Their eyes met only for a moment before the Priestess made her move. Spears of ice began forming all around them in the sky, but they did not fly for their target just yet.

What worried the auburn-haired girl weren't the spears of ice however.

The Priestess began advancing on her.

* * *

Sidestepping the katana, Yukari kicked Junpei in the midriff and pushed him away. "Guess whatever possessing you doesn't make you too fast, does it?" She teased him as she raised her bow with two arrows already nocked. Turning, she aimed at the dark wings of Hermes', as it was chasing around Io, and fired. Easily hitting her mark, it sent the possessed Persona tumbling into the seats at the end of the car. As the brunette turned, the cap-wearing male was already in her face, but Io stopped the swing of his sword so Yukari had time to swing her bow, hitting Junpei's midriff again.

"Hmm~ I might miss beating you to a pulp like this when you return to normal. What do you say we – " Yukari widened her eyes and spun around to see Hermes weaving in the air to avoid one of Io's attacks. A burst of Agi flung Io back, but Hermes quickly followed up and slammed the female Persona into the ground. Before Io could recover, Junpei was already in the air, and his katana was aiming to kill. This was the first time Yukari had even thought about trying to eliminate a Persona with her own hands. Narrowing her eyes, the brunette had already nocked an arrow, but she faltered when she thought about piercing Junpei with an arrow. Gritting her teeth, she focused her mind on Io before releasing the arrow.

In mid-flight, the arrow suddenly speed up, but as it hit Junpei in midair, it didn't pierce his skin. While seemingly stopping right before it ran through him, the possessed Persona user was knocked aside before the arrow dropped where it was. Yukari sighed as she wiped her brow, rather happy with her combined play with her Persona. Not only did she make sure Io sped up her arrow with the created vortex, but by having Garu cast around her arrow, she made it more mobile while preventing any serious injuries to Junpei.

Io brought itself back into the air and floated beside Yukari just as Hermes returned to the recovering Junpei. Even though it felt like she was under control of the situation, the fight would take its toll the longer it lasted, and she had been using all of her energy in playing around with him. Unlike the possessed male, she had no intention of trying to actually harm him, at least in a fatal way. Still, she knew she just had to last long enough for the others to take down whatever Shadow was in control.

Brandishing his katana with one hand again, it caught fire as Hermes enchanted it with its flames. Narrowing her eyes, Yukari stood on the other side of the train car as she prepared herself. Just as she nocked an arrow, the entire monorail shook and threw her off balance. She quickly braced herself against the wall, but she caught a glimpse of something large falling into the water below. Her brown eyes widened at the realization that it was a part of one of the cars. _They didn't lose...did they?_ The brunette's attention was diverted as Junpei roared, swinging wildly in front of him and sending blades of fire at her.

With one glance, Yukari had Io create a protective wall of wind to have the fire dissipate as it reached her. "I don't know what happens when you're possessed like that...but listen well, Junpei!" Just as she was about to continue, Hermes flew at her. Io wasn't quick enough to run interception, so Yukari could only brace herself as Hermes tackled her again. This time, she was able to mitigate most of the force by swinging her bow in time with both of her hands, altering its path just slightly. It was enough to not send her flying, and Hermes slid against the wall, shattering the glass of the windows and letting in the strong wind. A light was cast over her as any small injuries were healed, albeit she still felt the fatigue. "I'm sure somewhere in there you're counting on them just as much as I am, so..." Taking a deep breath, she had Io cover her backside and face Hermes while she aimed her arrow at Junpei.

"Get your apologies ready, Stupei. You're treating us all out at the end of all this."

* * *

"_thishasneverhappenedthishasneverhappenedthishasnev erhappened"_

That voice was unbearable. The message was not only troubling, but the owner of that voice...it disturbed her even more. Minako tried to focus though as she peered forward, watching as the Priestess grew closer with the growing number of ice spears. Still supporting herself against the naginata, she looked down at the evoker in her hand. What was there left to do? Even if she had gotten over that crisis of throwing in the towel, the lack of any options was still the same. Despite the sound of the strong wind, she could still hear the hissing and breathing of the Priestess getting closer.

Pressing the barrel of Minato's silver gun against her head, she gave a determined look forward. She had felt like she was on the brink of something before she was interrupted by the tearing apart of the car. What was it? Honestly, it wouldn't help if she couldn't deal with the massive number of ice spears ready to lunge at her, but it was all she had to go off of.

_I'm...I'm thinking too hard!_

It was frustrating when she didn't want to give up, yet no new options were being presented.

Suddenly, a wall of flame appeared between the auburn-haired girl and the Priestess, who reeled back with a shriek. It took a moment for Minako to realize what had happened, but she quickly spun around to see the blue jerk on the ground, propping his back against the wall with her gun in his hand. He didn't look like he was in the state of being able to sustain a Persona, but a small figure floated down from the sky and in front of him. It was a small Persona wearing a wizard hat and a cloak to cover its body. One hand popped out from it carrying a lantern, and its head was easily recognizable as a pumpkin head with a face carved in it, but there were small lights in its eye sockets.

Minato coughed in pain before smirking, letting the girl's gun slip from his hand, "...Pyro Jack. Don't let that damn thing get any closer..." He was pushing himself to the limits to keep the Persona materialized despite gaining some strength from having it out, but he was determined to keep it materialized till they defeated the Priestess. He knew that if Pyro Jack was forcibly removed, his body wouldn't be able to handle it and he'd instantly black out. Until then, the blue-haired male would support the auburn-haired girl.

"M-Minato-kun!" She didn't know how many times she had called out to him when he was hurt like this. Countless times, she was sure. The small floating Persona floated forward and positioned itself by her side, moving the lantern about, making it seem like it was keeping the wall of fire up from doing so. Having little time to admire how cute the Persona the injured male had summoned, Minako cast her crimson eyes up as the spears were raining down on them now, now that the Priestess was continuing to burn itself by trying to pass the wall of fire. Her first thought was to ask for Pyro Jack to deal with them, but she knew that'd be unreasonable.

_He's the one that's severely injured and yet...he can still..._

The spears of ice were raining down on their entire side of the train car, and Minako expected there to be plenty of the explosive ones as well. Her grip tightened on Minato's evoker for the umpteenth time. _Do something!_ The auburn-haired girl dropped her naginata and looked up at the incoming spears. _Do anything! If you don't..._ Pressing the barrel to her forehead, she pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

_If you don't...!_

She pulled the trigger again. Nothing.

_...he'll die!_

Her bright crimson eyes gleamed in the moonlight as she pulled the trigger one last time.

…

"...Jack Frost!" Shattered glass spiraled around the crimson-eyed girl before a Persona about the size of its counterpart, Pyro Jack, appeared above the girl. The appearance of it was exactly like the Jack Frost doll she had been given, with it looking like a two-part snowman, with arms and legs, and dressed simply in blue garments. She instantly felt empowered by the appearance of a Persona, as a bond was formed and their strength was shared. Her gleaming eyes scanned the sky for the spears before narrowing her eyes. "Don't let me down!"

The small blue Persona did a little spin before waving its arms at the sky. Minako watched confidently as she could feel the power swelling up in its tiny body. Despite having just obtained it, she had knowledge of its abilities, and it only had a basic line-up of skills. Unbeknownst to her, it was the same when the blue-haired Persona user had summoned both Inugami and Pyro Jack. And just like with him, the auburn-haired girl wanted..._needed_ more than just those particular skills.

"Ma..." She was so caught up in the moment that she didn't realize that the wall of flames died down in front of her. "...bufula!" Minako could imagine what the spell was supposed to look like, but she knew it wouldn't be helpful in countering the explosive ones. Focusing on what she had in mind, she let her small Persona realize her wishes. Its small hands grasped at the sky as suddenly a thick dome of ice suddenly encased their entire car, shutting them off from the eerie moonlight and the wind. There was silence for only a moment more before a sound similar to hail surrounded them. It didn't take long before muffled explosions followed, but the dome of ice had endured the barrage.

Minako gasped for breath after the ordeal, as using a skill of that magnitude, when not used to it, almost sapped her of all her strength. She quickly caught herself as she finally realized that the wall of fire had disappeared, and the Priestess was essentially in her face now. Widening her eyes, she grabbed both of the small Personas in her arms and jumped back, unable to help herself in wanting to protect the small, cute Personas. She stopped backing up when she was near the injured male and released the Personas, allowing them to float by her.

The Priestess didn't follow, however.

Another shriek bounced off the walls as it tried to claw its way forward, but something was hindering it. The scrolls of her hard all been either trapped outside of the dome or they were encased in the thick ice. It didn't seem like the scrolls were very responsive when frozen by a potent skill. Despite it being a Shadow, Minako could imagine it felt the same pain as one whose hair was being torn off. Eventually, it stopped writhing and wailing and started to form more of its spears. Not only that, but scrolls seemed to sprout from the back of the Priestess's head with a horrendous ripping sound.

Recognizing the pattern, with the scrolls blowing off the roof and walls, Minako pushed through that feeling of fatigue and readied herself again. "We'll surely lose in endurance." She glanced back at the injured male, who was having trouble breathing. "We have to end it now...everything in one go!" Minako wordlessly gave her order to Jack Frost. With arms waving again, the small Persona quickly produced an ice weapon similar, but larger, to what the Priestess had been throwing at them the entire time, albeit this one was more durable and potent. Collapsing to her knees, just as she was about to send it forward, a light suddenly appeared inside of the ice crystal. Pyro Jack shook the lantern as it produced the fire within.

"Let's end this with a bang...and show this 'Priestess' how it's done. I can probably muster enough strength for one more...so I'll use it to send it up," Minato struggled to speak with a hand grasping at his chest.

She looked back, clearly concerned, but she only smiled and nodded, "With...a bang!" Taking one last look at the two Personas, she had Jack Frost fling the massive thing forward. In response, the Priestess sent forward what it had produced thus far, but they all shattered as it met the Persona's ice crystal. With one last attempt, the Priestess had her remaining scrolls swing forward to catch onto the crystal, but it barreled past them and straight through her chest.

A shrill cry.

"Agi...lao!"

Flames suddenly enveloped both the Priestess and the ice crystal before bursting, blowing off half of the ice dome and sending the Shadow forward into the sky. Another moment passed before the ice finally shattered and the flames inside released a devastating explosion, making it look like fireworks in the green night sky. There was nothing left to see of the Shadow as it disappeared into the wind, but Minako and Minato both saw it this time. It only appeared for a moment before fading, but it had definitely been there.

That silhouette of a face.

There was no time to worry about that however. Minako quickly realized that they were still moving. Scrambling to her feet, as the Personas dematerialized, she stumbled forward, moving outside of what remained of the ice dome, and made it to the engine controls. Without even thinking about it, her hand found what she believed to be the break and applied it. She waited with bated breath, but soon the monorail showed signs of slowing before finally stopping.

Letting out a sigh of relief, the auburn-haired girl slowly made her way back to the blue-haired male, who was still up against the door. Collapsing to her knees beside him, her back rested against the door and she let out another sigh. It seemed all too quiet now, as the only sound was the wind filling their half of the ice dome.

"...Good job," Minato groaned, wincing at any kind of movement, "How did you know which one was the break?" He struggled to sit up straight.

Watching him for a moment, she giggled softly as she tilted her head, "Woman's intuition, I guess?"

Smirking, he shook his head, "That kind of thing...scary..." He tried to make light of the situation, but he only ended up groaning again before doubling over.

Widening her eyes, she quickly reached out, this time unhesitatingly, and took him by the shoulders. Pulling him back down, she rested his head on her lap. This was only met with resistance, but he couldn't resist for long as his injuries just made him easier to handle. Despite smiling down at him, it was saddening to see him in this battered state. "You're always getting hurt aren't you..." She kept one hand on his shoulder as the other brushed away his bangs, revealing those blue hues.

"Tch..." Minato didn't turn his head, but he averted his gaze to the side, "Whose fault do you think it is?" His question was only met with silence. After a moment, he looked up at her face again. Widening his eyes, he was slightly at a loss for words. Swallowing, he lowered his eyelids as he struggled to raise a hand, but he managed to reach her face with his hand. His fingertips gently brushed against her cheeks before he closed his eyes.

A drop fell on his cheek.

"...Idiot..."

* * *

.::|| I was thinking about splitting this particular fight into two chapters, but I think I need to not make these kinds of scenes last too long. I cut the fight scene with Junpei way shorter than I had planned, but I feel like it was a needed cut to keep it from rambling on. As always, I look forward to your reviews! Your thoughts and suggestions are always welcome.


	12. Chapter 11: Passing Time

**Chapter 11: Passing Time**

"Akihiko here."

There was a bit of static before Mitsuru's voice was received in the command room, "This is Mitsuru. We've successfully completed the operation...although with a few complications. Despite the interference with our communication, the team did a great job in finishing the operation. Our two Arisatos handled the Shadow. However..." There was a pause before a soft sigh, "Unfortunately, from what I've gathered, the Shadow, 'Priestess,' decided to blow off the roof and walls in the front car of the monorail."

Ikutsuki adjusted his glasses, "I suppose we'll have to find some explanation to pass around for tomorrow's headlines... Nevertheless, I feared there would be even worse damage when I heard they hijacked a monorail. Well done."

"But, what are the Shadows up to?" Akihiko clenched his fist, "Taking over a monorail like that... This is getting out of hand."

The sophisticated gentleman nodded, "I'll be looking into the matter."

Some more static. "Does this mean...it's begun?"

Crossing his arms, Ikutsuki gave a slight tilt of the head, "Hmm... Let's not jump to any conclusions. For now, we should study their behavior for patterns or clues. We cannot afford to always wait for them to make the first move."

Another sigh came from the other side of the call. "They're learning quickly, but...if I had more power, things wouldn't be so difficult for them."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing fine," Ikutsuki said. Hearing the line cut out, the sophisticated gentleman sighed as he turned to the boxing captain, "More importantly... Do you have anything to drink, Akihiko?"

He raised a brow, "Huh...?" It took a moment before noticing the fatigue on the older man's face. "Why do you look so tired, Ikutsuki-san? Wait... Don't tell me that bicycle outside is yours!"

Ikutsuki pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his brow, "Boy, am I gonna be sore tomorrow!" He smiled as Akihiko nodded and left the room to fetch him something to drink. Lowering his hand, he tucked the handkerchief away before looking up at the large monitor. "Minato Arisato and Minako Arisato...hm? To be able to handle a Shadow of that magnitude on their own." He smiled before laughing to himself, "What an interesting pair!" He quickly calmed himself down and quietly contemplated their situation as his glasses gleamed from the monitor's glow.

"With them, we might be able to do it..."

* * *

Minako gave a happy, but tired, sigh as she plopped down on the bench beside the blue-haired male. She gave a wave and a smile at the cute, small girl who had climbed to the top of the jungle gym. "Be careful, Maiko-chan!" It made her even more cheerful when she saw the little girl smile in return. Turning to the boy sitting next to her, she gave him a worried look, "Are you sure you're okay to be out here, Minato-kun?"

He gave an exasperated sigh. "How many times are you going to ask me that? I've had the same answer ever since we left the dorm, so I'm sure you know the answer already." Minato slouched a bit as his hands slipped into his pockets. His blue hues met the little girl's brown ones, which only resulted in her giggling and waving at him. He returned the affection with a smirk. "Besides, it's not like I'm really doing anything strenuous today. Even if it happened just last night, we're all getting better at recovering because of our training, right? I'm sure if it was like before, I'd be in the hospital again...getting bullied by a certain girl in the hospital despite my injuries."

"H-Hey! You deserved it when you made a comment like that!" Her face flushed for a moment before she gave a soft laugh as her gaze lowered to the ground. "I guess...you're right. Maybe I am worrying too much, but..." She lowered her head even more. "Seeing you get hurt every time we encounter an enemy like that, it just..."

Minato glanced at her before letting his head roll back, his eyes closing. "It's inevitable that someone's going to get hurt. If you let it get to you every time, it'll become a problem for the rest of us too." Even if it sounded harsh, he needed to make sure she heard that kind of hard truth.

"It's not like it gets any easier the more I see it happen," she said. Her hands fidgeted in her lap. "But I feel like it's my fault when you're getting injured in every fight like that. I mean, even you said..."

He furrowed his brow, "...Idiot." The blue-haired male sat up as he looked away from her. "I decided to do what I did of my own accord, alright? You weren't at fault." He had a clear image of what had happened after they finished the fight. "...So don't make that kind of face at me again."

Minako rested her striking red eyes on him before a smile crept up on her, "You should take it easy in the next fight we have like that. I'll be sure to protect you." She giggled a bit when that caught his attention, their eyes meeting. "Just like you – "

"Who said anything about me prote – ?!"

He was interrupted as Maiko slipped right in between the two on the bench and looked up at them. "Are you two fighting?"

It was an innocent question from the grade-schooler, and Minako exchanged glances with the blue jerk before she shook her head, "No, no. We're almost always like this. I guess you could say that it's our way of talking with each other."

"But you two won't get a divorce, right?"

Minato started coughing into his arm as he looked away from the two girls. The auburn-haired girl gave a nervous laugh before gently patting Maiko on the head, "W-We're not together like that. We're friends, but if you're asking if something like that will make us not be friends anymore..." She looked up from the little girl to meet the male's gaze, and she gave an optimistic smile, "I would say definitely not!"

Sighing, he leaned back into his seat. "I doubt I could escape this girl's annoying habit of following me...so probably not."

Maiko beamed up at the two as they answered, "Good! I'm glad!" She lowered her eyes before she gave a slightly sadder expression. "I don't...want to see you two fight like my mom and dad do... I think they're going to get a divorce, and I tell them I want us to be happy, but they don't listen. They probably hate me, too..."

It grew quiet as the two older students realized what worried the little girl. Minako shook her head as she tried to reassure her, "I'm sure they don't hate you, Maiko-chan. They're just going through a tough time right now, so they may not act like they normally would."

The brown-haired grade-schooler leaned against her, finding solace in those reassuring words. "I don't wanna go home yet, but I don't want them to get worried..." She gave a small sigh before forcing a smile on her face as she jumped off the bench and turned around. "Let's play again soon, okay? Bye bye, Onee-chan! Onii-chan!" Maiko gave an energetic wave before running off and disappearing down the stairs.

"...Tough times for that kid," Minato finally said after a moment of silence. "I hope her parents realize what they're going through is also affecting their child."

She nodded, looking down at her hands, "I can tell that she's a tough girl. Even though I'm still worried, I'm sure she can make it through this." Minako inevitably started thinking about her own parents, and her expression grew a bit somber before she raised her hands and slapped her cheeks lightly to snap out of it. Trying to change the subject, she scooted a bit closer to the blue jerk before asking, "By the way, Minato-kun. I want to ask you something. It's...about yesterday. Do you remember when you grabbed my hand during class yesterday?"

The blue-haired student narrowed his eyes a bit before shrugging, "What about it?"

"Well, it's just..." She shivered at the thought of those voices, "Did you hear it too? That...voice?"

Minato sighed. He knew this was coming, but it wasn't something he wanted to talk about either. "The one during class? Yeah, yeah I did. It wasn't the first time I heard either, but...if you're going to ask me why we heard that voice or whose voice it is, I have no answers for you." He was probably just as curious as to what it was they were dealing with. It didn't seem like any of the others were plagued by voices. "It's not like it'll do us any good if we even find out, will it? Might as well just leave the matter alone and forget about it...at least for now."

"But, you've been getting the same kind of messages from that voice, right? It always gives me the creeps when I hear it, but it was still helpful, wasn't it? That warning about yesterday's full moon." The auburn-haired girl lowered her head a bit before biting her lip, reducing her voice to a whisper, "And then...there was that female voice on the train..."

He blinked. "Female voice?" Minato turned to meet those striking red eyes of hers. "What female voice? It was just a different male's voice...wasn't it?" That confusion dwelling in her eyes answered that question for him. After a moment, he leaned back in his seat and looked up at the tree branches blowing in the wind. "Even if that voice warned us about yesterday's events, we still don't know if it wanted us to be the victors of that fight. For all we know, we could have just been the fools that were drawn in to be the entertainers of the night. And as for that other voice...at least for me, it was far less helpful and had a different intention than the first one."

"Yeah...I would say it was the same for me. The voice was a little distorted, but didn't it sound...familiar to you?" Minako let a groan escape her when she just couldn't place her finger on the owner of that voice. Jumping to her feet, she stretched her arms out before turning around, suddenly beaming down at him. "Well, I think you're right! We should at leave it alone for now. What's important is that we won the battle and saved the city, right?!"

Minato shook his head as he got up on his feet as well. He winced a bit at the slight pain, but he hid it well from her, "I can never understand how you can bounce back to your cheery self so easily. I suppose you need at least one redeeming quality."

She clasped her hands behind her as her smile grew wider, "So you're admitting I have one more than before?"

"..." Minato had an irritated expression as he started toward the stairs.

Minako quickly followed behind, quite happy with herself, "Progress!"

* * *

Snapping her eyes open, Minako blinked rapidly before wiping the drool off of her chin. She glanced around quickly and sighed in relief when no one noticed. Although she had already fully recovered from the Shadow fight, it was still a pain to sit through classes. Yawning softly, she looked to the front of the class with weary eyes.

"I'm sure you all remember that midterm exams start exactly one week from now, so you better come prepared next Monday. If you paid attention during class and studied diligently at home, you should have no problems." Mr. Ekoda, the Classic Literature teacher, walked from the front of the class to Junpei's seat with a disappointed expression on his face. "Of course, the best way to prepare for a difficult exam is to sleep through class, like Junpei here. Hmph... If you choose to neglect your duty as a student and waste your life in idleness, then be my guest..."

The auburn-haired girl looked over to the sleeping cap-wearing student. She guessed that he was still a bit tired from the Shadow fight. _Yukari's pretty ruthless when she wants to be..._ Minako giggled softly to herself when she remembered how he had freaked out when he returned to normal and was told that the brunette had given him a sound beating. Her mind slowly wandered back to the teacher's lecture, struggling to stay awake.

* * *

Minato pushed open the doors to the dorm to find himself face to face with Yukari.

"Oh, hey," the brunette greeted before giving him a quick smile as she made her way past him, "I was just about to go borrow my friend's notes. Midterms are coming up, you know. Already less than a week left! If you wanted to go to Tartarus tonight, I'll have to pass. Sorry!" She ran down the steps of the dorm before waving back to him, "You should take a break from training until exams are over at least! You and Junpei really got beat up!" She laughed to herself as she made her way out of sight down the street.

The blue-haired male frowned before entering the dorm. Midterms? He hadn't exactly been doing his share when he was sleeping so much in class. Minato walked toward the lounge after the door closed behind him. He sat across from the auburn-haired girl, who had her school notebook in hand, and picked up a magazine, flipping through the pages.

"Are you really not worried about midterms, Minato-kun?" she asked as she scribbled something in her notebook.

He shrugged as he flipped the page, "It's only Tuesday. There's still time to study."

Minako sighed as she focused on her studies, "Mitsuru-senpai won't be too happy with you if you don't score high marks, Minato-kun. I hear even Akihiko-senpai is afraid of her 'execution.'"

"It can't be that bad, can it?" He momentarily imagined the various methods of execution their Senpai could pull off. Swallowing, he narrowed his eyes at the magazine, "...I can always start tomorrow night."

* * *

Yukari and Minako were sharing notes in the lounge as Minato walked into the dorm. Junpei waved over at him, "...'Sup, dude?" He didn't have his usual energy as he sighed, "I'm tired of studying. Let's go to Tartarus, bro."

Minato grimaced. He had already forgotten that he had meant to start studying that night. After he glanced at the clock on the wall, he turned around and headed for the door again, "You should hit the books."

The cap-wearing male sat up straight, "Are you serious, bro?! Isn't saving the world more important? C'mon... Yuka-tan wants to go..."

Yukari looked up from her notebook and gave a small smirk, "We DO have exams next week...but what the he – hey!" She stood up as Minato opened the door to leave, "Where are you going?"

"I'm heading to the mall's arcade."

The brunette frowned, "You're going to play games instead of doing anything productive?!"

Minato turned to face her and shrugged, "It's Wednesday, isn't it? I haven't started studying yet, so I'll go play a few hours of that quiz game at Game Panic. Better than nothing, right?" With that, he left the dorm.

After staying quiet for so long, the auburn-haired girl finally let out a sigh. "Don't worry about him, Yukari-chan. I'm sure he'll find a way to pass the exams even if he tries weird things."

Yukari plopped back down next to the red-eyed girl, "Hmm~ Should you really be saying that? I remember you insisting that you felt smarter after going to Naganaki Shrine. Am I wrong to assume you've gone there everyday since Monday?"

Minako's face flushed and she dropped her pencil, "Th-That's something entirely different!"

Junpei hung his head back on the couch, "You're all crazy, man, taking these exams so seriously..."

* * *

Minako jumped up the steps of Naganaki Shrine and rushed over to the offertory box. She heard a sigh behind her as the blue jerk walked to catch up to her. He wasn't too happy being dragged there right after school. She turned around and gave him a beaming smile, "Trust me, Minato-kun! You won't regret it! The others have doubted me when I tried to explain it, but it really will make you feel smarter!"

"You must be kidding me," he said. "You're telling me this is what you're putting all your faith in?"

She shook her head, "Of course not! I've been doing some studying here and there too...and stop sounding so cynical!" Minako dropped her shoulders for a moment before spinning around and inserting a hundred yen coin as a donation. Slapping her hands together in front of her, she squeezed her eyes shut.

The blue-haired boy frowned at how focused she was. _Something this stupid...but she won't leave me alone until I try it..._ He sighed as he tossed in a hundred yen coin as well and clapped his hands together before closing his eyes. He had no idea what he was supposed to do from there, so he just tried to pray for improved academics. To his disbelief, after a few moments of silence, he felt a surge of energy through his body, and his confidence rose as he somehow felt an increase to his knowledge. Snapping his eyes open after the sensation ended, he dropped his hands and looked down at the girl to find her already looking up at him in return. With that irritatingly broad smile.

"So? It worked, didn't it?" Her bright eyes watched him expectantly.

Minato furrowed his brow. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked toward the stairs, "Like hell it did."

She ran after him and tugged on his uniform sleeve, "Don't lie!"

* * *

Mitsuru stopped the pair as they were just about to enter the school courtyard, "Good morning, you two. Only a few more days till exams begin. Are you two prepared?"

Minako held out her arm and flexed jokingly, "Of course! I'm ready to ace this thing!"

The redhead chuckled softly, nodding in approval, "Just as I expected. I'll be looking forward to seeing your grades..." She turned to face the blue-haired boy, expecting a similar answer from him.

He frowned slightly, averting his gaze from his Senpai's as he shook his head, "Not...really..."

Mitsuru tilted her head as she smiled at him, "I see... A talented hawk hides its talons, hm? Well, I'll be looking forward to seeing your grades as well." She started to turn, but she remembered something and faced them again, "If your grades are good, I'll give you something. Consider it a reward, and don't worry, I'll be sure to reward you both if you both do well." She crossed her arms as she sighed softly, "To be honest, I'm not as well prepared as I should be. I'm still preoccupied with monitoring Shadows. At any rate, the number of incidents have decreased since our last mission, so if we can continue to defeat them, we may be able to rid the public of their fear... However, every time a new Shadow appears, it seems to be more powerful than the last. And even after Akihiko returns to battle, we still won't be at full strength..." She shook her head as she turned, "Be strong. Everyone on the team is counting on you two." After giving them one last reassuring smile, she walked into the school.

"Counting on us... We'll have to give it one hundred and fifty percent from now, Minato-kun!" Minako swung around to stand in front of him, showing that determination in her bright hues.

Minato smirked as he gave a light shrug, "I'm just worried about the exams right now. It seemed like Mitsuru-senpai expects us to do well."

"Don't worry! We can go to Naganaki Shrine again," she said. She had been growing more and more confident that the exams would be a cinch for her, and she wanted her partner to feel the same. Minako suddenly raised her hands to stop the blue-haired boy from moving past her, "B-By the way, Minato-kun! You've looked a little worried over the past couple of days, but you still have two days after today to prepare for the exams. It'll be close, but I think if you study enough, you'll be able to get high marks. And to wish you good luck in doing so..." She smiled happily to herself as she pulled out something from her bag and held it out to him.

Dangling from her fingers was a phone charm, jingling softly. A Pyro Jack phone charm. Minato narrowed his eyes as he held out his hand, "How is this supposed to help me? And why the hell did you get this kind of – "

"It'll definitely help you, trust me! And isn't it cute?! I thought it...suited you in a way, so I bought it when I saw it in a package deal on that shopping show on Sunday." She gave a rather playful smile as she placed a finger in front of her lips. "Don't go shoving it in your pocket or throwing it in the trash, okay? Let me see you put it on your phone right now!"

Sighing, Minato pulled out his cellphone and carefully weaved the phone charm in before holding it out to show the annoying girl. "There, happy?" He grumbled a bit before he finally made his way past her.

Minako walked beside him as they headed into the school, "Oh, wow. That was easier than I thought. I was expecting you to put up more of a fight, Minato-kun."

He narrowed his eyes. "Would it have made a difference if I had?"

"Of course not!"

* * *

Minato scooted back slightly in the chair in his room. He started tapping his pencil on the desk while he stared at a literature textbook. Saturday came and went, and it was already Sunday. _Exams start tomorrow... Can't count on that Shrine to pull me through. _He sighed frustratingly as he leaned back in his seat. Letting his eyes rest on the ceiling of his room, he could already tell that his focus was deteriorating.

A knock came at the door. "Minato-kun? You awake?"

Sighing, he stood up and walked over to the door, grumbling to himself, "God damn it, what does she want now..."

Minako was holding her textbooks to her chest as the door opened. She was expecting that 'go away' look he was fond of. "Are you studying hard?" That look was certainly given. "Well, do you want to study with the rest of us? Mitsuru-senpai left to handle some business, and Akihiko-senpai is out running because the doctor finally told him he was almost fully healed. Junpei is getting a crash course from Yukari-chan and I, and we're all going to study downstairs in the lounge if you want to join us."

Although he wanted to refuse, his hands were tied because of the hole he put himself into. He sighed before going back to his desk to gather his things.

Minako waited outside his room patiently, "You don't have to bring everything. We already have most of it downstairs."

"Yeah, yeah..." He sighed as he grabbed his MP3 player and earphones last before heading out.

* * *

Minato sighed as he stood in front of the school gates. It was Monday, and the 1st semester midterm exam were beginning that day. It would last for six days, but he knew that everyone would use the last day of the week to recover from the stress. He took a deep breath, wanting to stall as long as possible. Glancing over at a pair of girls standing by the school gates, he couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

One of the girls looked like she was panicking a little, "Oh, no! The test is today! I didn't study at all yesterday, cause...I fell asleep!"

Sighing, her friend shook her head, "Come on... You don't need to lie about it every time. By the way, did you hear? Our PE teacher was hospitalized. I heard a signboard fell on him!"

"Whoa...wait!" Blinking, the first girl suddenly grabbed her friend's wrist and pulled her toward the school, "Who cares about our PE teacher? C'mon, we've got five minutes! We can memorize ten vocab words!"

Minako walked up beside the blue-haired student as she wondered what he was staring at before tugging on his sleeve. "Minato-kun, what're you doing out here? Are you still worried about the exams? If you are, you should be looking at your notes from yesterday, instead of lounging around out here." She received that familiar irritated look as she reprimanded him. She lightly tugged on him as she led him into the school. "Don't worry, this week will be done before you know it. Plus, I'll have a surprise for you when the scores are posted next week, so look forward to it!"

Minato groaned as he walked into the school. How anyone could deal with this kind of hell was beyond him.

* * *

Junpei collapsed onto the couch in the lounge, "Finally finished! I'd like to say we should go out and celebrate, but I just want to sleep after this hell week." He flipped himself over on the couch as he lay there. After stretching a bit, he pulled out a pencil from his pocket and held it above him, "Man, the teachers were sure surprised when I finished so early every day this week. And it was all thanks to this baby."

Yukari rolled her eyes as she sat down on the other couch. "No thanks for Nako-chan and I for helping you out? Typical...and is that pencil...?" She squinted a bit to see that the pencil had a number scribbled on each of the flat sides. It was one of those makeshift pencils that students rolled to guess on the answer when they were stumped. The brunette shook her head at him, "Oh, you must be proud of yourself. I can't wait to see how far _that_ method got you."

The auburn-haired girl plopped down next to her female friend as the blue-haired boy sat in one of the armchairs. She leaned back and stretched her arms out above her, "Mm! I'm glad this week is finally over! The questions on our exams were harder than I thought, but I think I did alright."

Minato was checking messages on his cellphone, the Pyro Jack charm jingling, as he sighed, "I'm sure our Senpais are hoping we can live up to their standards, but they're clearly overestimating us. We have someone who relies on the divine answers of a pencil, two people that foolishly threw money away at the Shrine in hopes for good grades, and...well, I suppose you're the only sane one, Yukari."

The doors to the dorm opened and the Akihiko entered with a cheerful look on his face. "Ah, you're all back."

Yukari waved at their Senpai as he walked over to them, "Senpai! I hear you're fully healed!"

Junpei sat up quickly, "Really?! Congrats, man!"

"I need to catch up on my training. I've slacked off for a whole month," the boxing captain said. He sat down on the same couch as Junpei before glancing at the two leaders. "That reminds me, I have a favor to ask. You two have been doing a great job leading the team both in and out of Tartarus. Even though I'm returning to the field, you two don't mind continuing to do so, do you? That way, I can concentrate on building my strength."

Minato just shrugged as the female leader replied, "We don't mind! We'll be sure to not let you down, especially when our team has gotten even stronger with the addition of you, Senpai!"

"Shouldn't you take it easy, though? You don't want to get reinjured too early, right?" Yukari showed a bit of concern, not enjoying the thought of their Senpai getting put out of commission again because he didn't rest properly.

The silver-haired male shook his head, "I've already wasted precious time. Besides, we found another Persona-user."

"We did?! Sweet!" Junpei was visibly getting excited, "Is it a girl...?"

Akihiko nodded, "Actually, it is. She's a junior who goes to our school. Fuuka Yamagishi... Do you guys know her?"

The brunette tilted her head, "Yamagishi...? Oh, that girl in 2-E... She gets sick a lot, from what I heard. I don't see her at school very often."

"She was at the same hospital as me. That's how we found out about her," Akihiko said. "But, maybe she's not cut out for battle. I had an Evoker made for her, too..."

"W-What?!" Junpei frowned, "We're giving up on her already?! I was gonna offer her some private lessons..."

Minako finally spoke, "You're really like an old perv, aren't you?"

The girl beside her broke out in laughter, "Hahaha! Oh man, I'm always thinking the same thing!"

"Yow! Retract those claws, ladies! I'm totally a hip, happenin' teen! You dig?!"

Minato sighed as he picked up a magazine from the table, "Like hell you are."

"...Loser," said Yukari.

Junpei raised his hands defensively, "Wh-Why're you lookin' at me like that? C'mon...I'm a guy. Whaddya expect?!"

"...Don't lump me in with him." Minato continued flipping through the magazine.

* * *

Minako looked up at the exam results that had been posted up on the bulletin board during lunch. The top of the sheet listed the date of that Monday: the 25th of May, 2009. Names of students quickly followed, putting them in order of their performance and separating them by grades and classes. Purposefully ignoring the upper half, she first searched for Junpei's score. She found his name fairly deep in the lower half, and she let out a nervous laugh after seeing his rank. _Good luck, Junpei-kun!_ Slowly making her way up, she found Yukari's name amongst the average scores. Minako exhaled in relief, glad that her friend had done well. And hadn't shamed herself by being beaten by Junpei.

Continuing up, she grew worried when she couldn't find either of their names, but then she reached the top. Blinking, her bright red eyes widened at the sight. Their names were only five points apart, and she had scored the highest in her class. Jumping back from the crowd of students, she smiled happily to herself, as she could feel everyone looking at her with respect. While she wasn't actively seeking it, the recognition was welcome. The downside to it all was that she wasn't too fond of her fan following, and this would only increase their numbers.

Looking to the side, Minako spotted the blue-haired student looking at a different bulletin board where the same results were posted. Making her way over to him, she gently tapped his shoulder, "Looks like you did well, Minato-kun! You lost out only by five points, but you still claimed second highest while holding a big lead over third. Congratulations!"

Minato was a bit surprised himself, but he hid it by shrugging, "I'm guessing you want some thanks?"

"There's no need for it. I'm just glad you did well!"

He honestly didn't know how to respond to that one. He sighed as he finally turned to her, settling his cool hues on her bright, lively ones, "Well, then..." He glanced away from her for a moment, unsure of himself as he chose his next string of words, "Good job getting the top score. And...I suppose...thanks."

She stared up at him, amazed that she had been praised by the blue-haired boy, but she only returned his compliment with an even brighter smile. "It was my pleasure, Minato-kun! ...Oh!" Minako raised a finger as she motioned for him to stay there, "I'll be right back!" She walked off quickly into their classroom to grab her bag before returning to him. "Can you take out your phone?"

Minato wondered if it was a mistake to praise the girl, but it was too late now. At her request, he looked at her questionably while pulling out his cellphone. He held it out between them, wondering where she was going with this. The Pyro Jack phone charm continued to dangle there like it had before.

The auburn-haired girl was happy to see that it was still there as she rummaged through her bag before finally bringing out her phone. Holding it in front of the male's, she displayed her cellphone to him as a phone charm dropped down from it, jingling softly. A Jack Frost phone charm.

It was at that moment that he felt those eyes on both him and the annoyingly bold girl in front of him. Some of them were still looking at him with respect because of his high scores, despite his habit of sleeping in class, but the others just stared at the two conversing with each other. And those phone charms. Minato was certain that her ridiculous fans would send him an angry letter. Quickly taking her wrist in hand, he pulled her away from the crowd of students and led her around the corner so they were near the stairwell, where there were less prying eyes.

"What the hell did you get that for?" Minato asked, clearly irked.

Minako tilted her head, "I planned on getting this one ever since I got you that Pyro Jack one. It's cute, isn't it? I made sure to get this one because it matches the doll you gave me! Do you not like it? It really surprised me when I was able to summon Jack Frost during our battle with the Priestess, and...to be honest, I think I was only able to do so was because I thought of you and the doll you gave me." She nervously held her phone to her chest as she lifted the small phone charm. "Maybe I'm completely off mark, but I was thinking that when you summoned Pyro Jack, you were thinking of me in return, and that's why we both called out such matching Personas, so these phone charms..."

He sighed as he held the phone at his side while slipping his free hand into his pocket. Although he didn't want to admit it, not even to himself, there might have been a moment when he thought about that annoyance before he called out the Persona. Wasn't it natural though? He just didn't want to see her die. "So these phone charms are...?"

She raised her head so their eyes met again, "Well, it's natural for the leaders of SEES to watch each other's backs, right? Think of Pyro Jack as me watching over you, and I'll think of Jack Frost as you watching over me. That way...it'll be like you came in my time of need." Minako was quite bold with her words despite the students passing by. "Besides, I think Jack Frost resembles you in a way. No matter how 'cold' you both are, I know that you're both happy to be with friends, even if you don't show it."

He could feel his brow twitching at how she so brazenly declared that. "So, Pyro Jack is so supposed to resemble you then? A lively, mischievous little thing that likes to cause trouble..." He paused as he closed his eyes for a moment. Despite trying to make her conclusion sound foolish, it was almost as if he had described Pyro Jack just like how he thought of her. Letting out another sigh, he opened his eyes and avoided her gaze while he put his phone into his pocket. "Don't go flagrantly spouting out nonsensical things. I just summoned that particular Persona by chance. It had nothing to do with you."

"Trust me!" Minako said as she put her cellphone in her bag, "As long as you hold on to that charm, I'll be sure to come to your rescue the next time you're in trouble!"

Minato started to walk away, but he stopped himself as he turned his gaze to meet with hers one last time. No matter how foolish she made herself seem to him, he was always amazed at how she got the better of him at times. "Then...giving this to me before the exams...?"

Strolling past him, Minako let a playful laugh escape her lips, "I won't let you down, Minato-kun!"

_Shrewd girl..._

* * *

.::|| I only edited and reread certain parts of this chapter, so hopefully there are no glaring mistakes throughout the text. As always, I look forward to your reviews, as they always motivate me to try and find time to write!


	13. Chapter 12: Disappearance

**Chapter 12: Disappearance**

"So, you know how they put up the midterm results yesterday?" Junpei spoke up as he returned to the dorm with the other three first year students, "Man, I'm really a laughing stock... After the results were posted, I heard these two cute girls talking. They were sayin' I have a one-track mind..."

Yukari sighed beside the auburn-haired girl, "You _do_ have a one-track mind."

He brushed her comment off, "Well, I didn't and still won't let it get to me! We might be getting another girl on our team anyways!"

Minako smiled at the thought of another member joining their team, "It would be great if we had another member join, wouldn't it? Her name was...Fuuka, right?"

"Akihiko-senpai said that she's not the type cut out for battle. As great as it'd be to increase our numbers, it'd just endanger her life, let alone ours, if we let her join just like that," the blue-haired male added in as he was rotating through songs on his MP3 player, "I think it was right for Akihiko-senpai to give up on her."

Junpei nudged his side with an elbow, "Man, don't give up so easily! She could just be one of those hidden potential type of girls, yeah? With a few lessons from me and a little training, I'm sure she'll be kicking ass just like us!"

Yukari narrowed her eyes at the student in front of her, "Hidden potential kind of... What in the world have you been watching?"

"Wha? Just – "

She quickly shook her head, "Wait, scratch that. I don't want to know what you watch, let alone what goes on in that perverted head of yours."

Minato sighed as he opened the doors to the dorm.

"Where have you all been?" Akihiko looked up from the magazine he was reading in the lounge, "I've been waiting for you all to get back. Let's go to Tartarus later. I need to get back into the swing of things, and I can't leave all the fun to you guys."

Junpei stretched a bit as he nodded, "You know what, that sounds pretty good, Senpai. I need to work off all the stress from studying for midterms."

"More like you want to forget about your score..." Yukari added as she closed the doors to the dorm, "But I'm up for it. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

The auburn-haired girl walked over to the front desk to sign in, "I think some training would be nice, especially to keep us on our toes after a tiring exam week."

Having already made his way to the bottom of the stairs, Minato turned around with a light shrug, "I won't argue against it if you're all wanting to. I'm heading to bed till then, so wake me up later." He turned again and climbed the stairs.

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to wake him up on time," Minako offered, sighing a bit as she watched the other leader disappear at the top of the stairs.

Akihiko nodded, "I'll leave that responsibility to you then. Now, I hope all of you will show me in person how powerful you've become during my absence in the team."

A nervous laugh from Junpei.

* * *

**「****05/27/09****」 – ****Wednesday**

Minato leaned back in his seat as class ended for the day. Even though midterms were over, it felt like they were just back to the regular old grind, and it was difficult to resist the urge to sleep during class. Pushing himself off the desk, he stood up as that girl approached him.

"Sorry, Minato-kun! I have volleyball practice today, so – "

He shook his head as he started putting on his earphones, "Yeah, yeah, you don't need to tell me. You're the one that made me come along to join a sports team, so I don't need to be reminded."

"Hmm? You seem to be in a bad mood, Minato-kun."

The blue-haired student sighed as he walked towards the door, waving back at her, "I just want a break. It seems as if there's always something we have to do everyday. If only this school encouraged being a couch potato..."

Minako watched him leave as she placed a hand on her hip, "You would be the kind that would make that kind of club if I didn't make you join a team..."

* * *

**「****05/28/09****」 – ****Thursday**

"Yo!"

The auburn-haired girl turned around while reaching out to catch the blue-haired boy's sleeve to keep him from ignoring the call. She waved at him as he approached, "Morning, Junpei-kun!"

Junpei waved back as he got closer, "Mornin'. So, hey, whaddya think...?"

Minato raised a brow as he finally turned around, "About what?"

"About Fuuka Yamagishi, of course. I haven't given up hope that she'll join our team."

Laughing nervously, Minako raised her hands in front of her, "It's great to be excited about it, but you heard Akihiko-senpai. You should calm down a little, although I think it'd be great if she could join us."

The baseball cap-wearing student shook his head, "How can I be calm when another chick might be coming to our dorm!? Fuuka Yamagishi... I know I've seen her before, and she does look kind of weak, but it only makes me wanna protect her, ya know?"

A hand came down on Junpei's shoulder and pulled him back as the brunette moved past him, "He's going on about our supposed new recruit again? Why does he always have to have a one-track mind..."

"Don't talk about me as if I'm not here!"

Minako greeted Yukari happily, and Yukari did the same in return before turning to the other two students, "Oh, that's right, did you hear? Mitsuru-senpai said that the number of victims seem to be on the rise again, meaning that the decline was only temporary. If what she says is true though, it might mean that no matter how many Shadows we defeat, more will just keep coming. If that's the case, I kind of wonder...what's the point of fighting?"

The auburn-haired girl shook her head, "If we do nothing though, then everyone will join The Lost. I think our efforts are at least keeping the crisis from escalating."

Yukari shrugged as she nodded, "I guess...but it's kinda creepy when you think about it. If we couldn't use our Personas, then the whole city would be crawling with zombies..."

* * *

**「****05/29/09****」 – ****Friday**

With hands in his pockets, Minato walked to school alone for the first time in days, maybe even weeks. Thankfully, it was Friday, and while there were classes the next day, it wasn't as intensive as the regular weekdays. Just as he got to the school gate, he turned his head just slightly to see those same female students who always gossiped in front of the school. He felt as if he should've ignored them, but something compelled him to try and listen in on their conversation.

"...I heard from a younger guy in my club yesterday that the 10th-graders are teasing someone."

The other girl shook her head in disbelief, "What, no way, like bullying him? Poor kid... What's his name?"

"I don't know..." she frowned at the thought of it, "All I heard is that it's really a problem. I thought our school was peaceful, too, but I guess it's not so much."

Minato looked away from them as the first bell rang, and he quickly moved forward into the school.

* * *

Yukari let out an exasperated sigh as she walked through the Gekkoukan High School hallway that connected the sports facilities building with the main building. "What a workout... On a Friday too! I've gotta teach those freshmen how to clean up properly."

"Hahahahaha!"

She blinked as she heard a group of girls laughing rather loudly. "Hm...?" Yukari stopped in the hallway, trying to stay out of sight, as she peered out of the hallway to see the girls standing near the persimmon tree.

"So, I pretended to take a picture with my cellphone. She freaked out and started crying like it was the end of the world. You should've seen the look on her face...it was priceless," the brunette of the group laughed at the thought of what she did.

Her friend responded typically, "Oh my gawd!"

"I've never laughed so hard in my life!" the brunette added. This caused another breakout of laughter.

Yukari narrowed her eyes as she pursed her lips for a moment, "They're making fun of someone... Don't they have anything better to do?"

The brunette's friend suddenly had a strange expression on her face, "Huh...? Where's that voice coming from...?"

Tilting her head, the brunette blinked, "What voice? I don't hear anything." Her friend only replied with silence and an almost dazed expression. Swallowing, the brunette prodded for an answer, "What's wrong, Maki...?" Without an answer for another few moments, she tried to snap her out of it, "Maki!"

It didn't seem to work at first, but she finally snapped out of her state, "...H-Huh?"

"Are you okay!?"

Moving a hand to her head, she shook her head slightly before finally nodding, "Sorry... Um, what were we talking about?" They finally started walking away as the brunette seemed to show a little more concern for what just happened.

Yukari finally started down the hallway again with an irritated expression, "About time they left... I can't stand girls like that."

* * *

**「****05/30/09****」 – ****Saturday**

"_Did you hear about that girl in 2-E...?"_

"_Yeah, they haven't got a clue about what happened..."_

"_Isn't that bizarre!?"_

Turning away from their classmates gossiping amongst each other, Junpei gave a shrug, "Man, can you believe these people?" Shaking his head, he settled his eyes on the two leaders in a more serious manner, "So, have you two heard about the real details though?"

Minato stood there, leaning back against his desk with his hands in pockets, and answered, "Do I really want to know?"

"Stop acting like you don't care. You should really hear this..." The cap-wearing student shifted his gaze to the auburn-haired girl as he continued, "A girl from 2-E went missing last night. This morning, they found her lying on the ground in front of the school gate! Nobody knows what happened, and supposedly, she's still unconscious."

Fiddling a bit with her phone charm, Minako thought over what her friend had revealed, "The school hasn't made an official statement on the matter, right? It's probably already too late, but we shouldn't blow it out of proportion without any more pieces of info."

Yukari came up behind the auburn-haired girl and rested her chin on her friend's shoulder, letting out a tired greeting, "Morning~"

"Yo, Yuka-tan," Junpei replied before commenting on their conversation, "This is a tough case though, even for Junpei Iori, Ace Detective."

The brunette scowled as she stepped to Minako's side, "Ace Detective? Are you stupid or something?" She suddenly had a smile on her face as she continued, "I think a more fitting name would be...Stupei, Ace Defective."

Junpei shot her a slight glare, "Hey! I resent that! ...Anyway, where've you been?"

Yukari pointed back toward the hallway, "I was talking to the teacher. That girl they found... I saw her yesterday, on my way back from practice. She seemed okay then..."

"Whoa... Now, that's really strange," Junpei frowned at the thought.

* * *

**「****06/01/09****」 – ****Monday**

Junpei cleared his throat to catch everyone's attention at the dining table, "Hey Yuka-tan, have you seen the student message board? You know how a couple of days ago they found that girl by the front gate? Well, there's this rumor that it was an angry spirit from this one ghost story..."

"H-Hey!" Yukari swallowed nervously as she sat next to her auburn-haired friend, "C'mon, nobody believes that stuff...r-right?"

Mitsuru and Akihiko, at opposite sides of the table, each let out an amused laugh before the redhead questioned further, "So, what is this ghost story about?"

The brunette shook her head in protest, "Wha-!? It-It's probably made-up, so why bother!?"

"I'm interested. Go ahead and tell us," Akihiko said.

Despite a groan from Yukari, Junpei had a wide grin on his face, clearly excited in taking the stage. Dimming the lights in some inexplicable manner, he then produced a flashlight and held it underneath his chin as he leaned forward and began speaking in a mysterious voice, "Good evening. Welcome to 'Junpei's Believe It, or Don't.'"

Minato sighed as he leaned back in his chair. _He's the only one that could think of such a bad name..._

Even though her friend wasn't comfortable with the idea of ghosts, Minako happily tuned in, interested in hearing the ghost story play out.

"...There are many strange things in this world. According to one story...if you get caught at school late at night, you'll be devoured by a maniacal ghost that roams the halls! The other day, this friend of mine – let's call him Shu. He said to me, 'Junpei, I saw something strange.' He sounded serious, so I asked him what he'd seen. He said it was about the girl in 2-E... He claims he saw her go into the school on the night of the

incident." Junpei paused for dramatic effect, and to catch his breath, before he continued, "I couldn't believe it. She's not the kind of girl to be out at night. But Shu was as white as a sheet. He insisted it was true...then, it hit me." Another pause. "That ghost...must've tried to make her its dinner! And that's why they found her lying on the ground by the gate! I felt a chill run down my spine, and I broke into a cold sweat... Yes, there are strange things in this world. Believe it...or don't."

With the that, the lights returned to normal and Junpei disposed of the flashlight.

Mitsuru was the first to speak, "Hm... Akihiko, what do you think?"

A little disappointed, Junpei adjusted his cap, grumbling, "Not one word about my amazing performance just now...?"

"I think it's worth investigating," Akihiko nodded to the redhead.

Junpei turned his attention to the brunette who had shown quite a bit of fright in her brown eyes during his story, "I didn't know you were afraid of ghosts though, Yuka-tan. That's kinda funny."

"Hey, watch it!" Yukari suddenly snapped at him before sighing, putting her hand on the table to brace herself, and standing up, "F-Fine, let's investigate then. We'll each ask around for the rest of the week. I'll prove to you that this ghost story is just an urban legend!"

The redhead had a small smile on her face, but she spoke in a serious tone, "I appreciate that. This story is a bit unnerving."

Akihiko stood up from his seat and started walking away, "Then, I'll let you guys handle it. Just make sure you sleep with one eye open..."

Yukari blinked rapidly, "Huh...? Whaaat? Do you all believe in ghosts or something!?"

"I'm sure everyone's just worried with how things are playing out. Don't worry, Yukari-chan, I'm sure we'll be able to solve this case without any problems!" Minako said optimistically.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Yukari took a hold of the auburn-haired girl's hand, "At least someone has some kind of sense around here... Thank you, Nako-chan!"

The blue-haired male looked over to Junpei with a curious look, "Hey, Junpei. Where'd you get that flashlight?"

He raised the flashlight underneath his chin again, "Just another one of those...strange things in this world. Believe it...or don't."

Minato sighed, "I believe you're an idiot."

* * *

Being careful to not make too much of a racket, the blue-haired boy slowly descended the stairs to the first floor. Rubbing the back of his neck, he grumbled a bit to himself as he wasn't sure why he couldn't get to sleep again, and he had awoken in the middle of the Dark Hour nevertheless. Planning on getting a drink, he hoped he didn't wake any of the others, but as he was halfway down the stairs, his blue eyes came across that girl sitting at the dining table again in the eerie green light. Quietly descending the rest of the way and approaching her from behind, he placed his hand on her head.

"Boo."

There was no loud cry from the auburn-haired girl, but she quickly spun the chair around somehow and smacked him over the head with the large Jack Frost doll. All while still sitting. Once she withdrew the doll though, he could see that she had a surprised look on her face with her chest heaving slightly, "M-Minato-kun? That...That was terrible of you! To do something like that, especially during the Dark Hour of all times...!"

Minato noted that her hair was a bit messy at the time, so he guessed she had also woken up not too long ago. Giving a light shrug, he stepped to a chair next to her and sat down, "What do you expect of me? If you leave yourself with so many openings, you deserve to be frightened like that."

She huffed a bit before she finally turned herself around in that seat again. With the Jack Frost doll in between her and the table, she leaned forward and plopped her chin on top of the doll, "Maybe I expect you to be a considerate human being sometimes?"

"Probably won't happen."

Minako let out a somewhat irritated sound, but she sighed and tried to calm herself, moving a hand to try and sort out her slightly messy bedhead hair, "Anyways... What are you doing awake, Minato-kun?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied, watching her play with her hair, "I couldn't sleep for some reason, so I decided to come down and get a drink. And yet..." He narrowed his eyes somewhat, "I found something much more troublesome down here."

She ignored that comment. "I couldn't sleep either. Honestly, I kind of got a chill tonight, a feeling that seems to creep around every time I feel like something's going to happen," she paused for a moment before lowering her voice a bit, "Isn't it...the same for you? Last time...with the Priestess. We both...felt...something or another, right?"

Minato knew it would come to this again, and even though he was also curious and somewhat concerned, it was something he didn't want to think about. That cold, chilling sensation, with those voices on top of it all, was not what he wanted to remember. "...Even so, it's best to just forget it. We don't have any way to investigate what that was, so it would just be troublesome for us if we let it fill our minds with worry." He smirked as he tried to change the topic and mood, "Anyways, if you can't sleep, why don't you eat some sweets again? It seemed to do the magic last time. But man..." He raised a hand to his shoulder, "It was a pain hauling you back to your roo – "

The Jack Frost doll shut him up again. Minako scowled at him over it when she brought it back to her, "Back to teasing me again, are you? You're lucky I'm forgiving, Minato-kun, because not only did you poke fun at a girl's weight, but you also grabbed a girl out of nowhere to try and scare her."

"It wasn't much of a grab than a pat," he corrected her as he brushed off his face, "And you're not just some random girl. Even if I resist with all my might, I suppose we've been declared as friends and such, and friends tease each other the most, don't they?"

Minako stood up and, while holding the Jack Frost doll in one arm, she hit his forehead with a flick of her finger, "Friends aren't used for your entertainment, Minato-kun." She suddenly smiled and let out a lighthearted laugh as she embraced the doll with both arms, "But...I'm glad you're starting to think of all of us as friends, especially when you were so cold at the beginning."

Cold? Minato thought back to when they first met and started to talk with each other. Had those feelings of animosity toward her disappeared? It took him a moment before he shook his head. Had it ever been animosity? The blue-haired male was certain that what he felt then was still present now, but after having spent all this time together, he had hindered those kinds of feelings. But what were they? He felt as if he let his guard down, he would quickly return to his colder self, and he couldn't understand the reason behind it.

_Even if I did become like that again, I'm sure this girl would give me an earful to bring me back..._

"Minato-kun?"

He snapped out of it and shook his head, "Ah, it's...nothing." Minato stood up and stretched a bit before tilting his head toward the stairs, "Talking with you has already tired me out. I'm probably going to head back to try and get some sleep, and I suggest you to do the same."

Just as he started off toward the stairs, Minako quickly tagged along beside him, "Hmhm~"

Minato knew he'd regret asking, but he spoke up as he started up the stairs with her, "...What is it now?"

"Nothing~ Just admiring my work!"

_God, damn it._

* * *

**「****06/03/09****」 – ****Wednesday**

Minato and Minako walked to the school as usual, but they were dressed in their summer school uniforms, as all students had switched to these uniforms at the beginning of June. Minako wore a white collared shirt, a red ribbon tie, her usual red MP3 player, and the school skirt. Minato, on the other hand, had just taken off the usual Gekkoukan High jacket, leaving the buttoned, white collared shirt.

"S'up, you two? Looking into that ghost story at all?" Junpei greeted them as usual at the front gates. He had also changed his clothes now, wearing an unbuttoned white collared shirt with a blue shirt underneath.

Minako nodded with a raised hand, "I've been looking into it a bit, but I've only really just asked around without any real investigative work."

"S-Seriously? Shouldn't we just leave that to Yuka-tan?"

The blue-haired male shrugged, "I might've looked into it a bit..."

Junpei shook his head at him, "I know you're lying, man." He let out a sigh, as if regretting he ever brought it up, "As for me, I've got better things to do... Besides, I have plenty of scary stories up my sleeves. I bet you two pissed yourselves when you heard that story the other night. They say it's true, though."

"Whatever you want to believe, Stupei," Minato said as he started toward the school with the auburn-haired girl.

The cap-wearing student growled as he went after them, "Not you too! Don't call me that!"

* * *

**「****06/04/09****」 – ****Thursday**

Yukari yawned with a hand over her mouth at the school's front gate, rubbing her eyes a bit as she clearly looked tired. She stood there with her usual pink sweater jacket tied around her waist because of the summer, and she wore a white collared shirt like Minako. When she noticed the two Arisatos approaching, she gave them a weak wave, "Mornin'..." She yawned again before continuing, "This sucks... I spent so much time thinking about ghost stories that now I'm having nightmares..."

Minato smirked, "And how's it going?"

She shrugged, "Mm... It's going, alright."

The auburn-haired girl moved closer to her friend and patted her on the shoulder, "You shouldn't overdo it, Yukari-chan. I don't think any of the others are really doing any work, so you don't have to overwork yourself!" She glanced at the blue-haired boy when she spoke of doing no work.

Yukari shook her head, "Don't worry, it's fine. But, there's so many stupid rumors going around that it's tough to put them all together. I did get some useful information, though. I'm gonna look into it more today."

"Make sure to at least take it easy tonight!" Minako added as they all started for the school.

* * *

**「****06/05/09****」 – ****Friday**

Yukari stood in front of the three other students with her hands clasped behind her, "Well, today's Friday. Did you three ask around, like we said?"

Minako nodded, while the blue-haired student shrugged. Junpei only raised a brow at the brunette, "Huh? We had something planned for today?"

The brunette immediately glared at him, "Junpei, I TOLD you – "

He quickly raised his hands defensively, "I know, I know! I'm just kidding! Man, you have such a short temper..."

Crossing her arms in front of her, she nodded, "Then, we'll meet in the lounge after school. Don't forget!"

Junpei sighed as he nodded slowly, "Yes, Ma'am..."

* * *

The four students were gathered at the dormitory lounge, and Yukari sat the front of them all as she started it off, "Okay, as we agreed on Monday, we'll now hold a meeting to discuss what we learned."

"Wow, you're really into this," Junpei said.

Yukari smiled, "Of course. I got lots of good info. It turns out no angry ghost was involved."

The cap-wearing student smirked, "Oh, so that's what's important, huh?"

"Hmph," the brunette ignored him and turned towards the other tow, "First off, let's talk about how this rumor got started. Since the girl was found on school grounds, there's at least one similarity to the ghost story. But, why did the rumor spread so fast, if this was the first time anything happened?"

Minako quickly raised her hand, "Because it was the third time!" She had certainly been telling the truth when she had at least asked around a bit, contributing more than what the two male students could offer.

"Correct!" Yukari nodded to the auburn-haired girl, "But yeah, I was surprised when I found out the reason. Over the next few days, there were two more similar incidents. All three victims had to be hospitalized. No wonder people were talking." She cleared her throat a bit before continuing, "Next, the victims are in different classes, and they don't seem to be connected. However, they did have one thing in common. What was it?"

Junpei leaned back on the couch, "What is this, a quiz show?" He casually motioned to the blue-haired student, "Do YOU know?"

Minato shrugged his shoulders, "They probably hung out together or something."

"That's right! Not just once or twice, either. They got in with a bad crowd, and were always out late. It can't be just a coincidence..." Yukari narrowed her eyes for her next plan, "So, to find out what happened, we're gonna do some...field research."

Quickly sitting up in his seat, Junpei clearly disapproved of the decision, "What, field research!? Are you kidding?"

"Yeah, there's this one place where the three victims were regulars."

Swallowing audibly, Junpei lowered his head a bit, "Wait, you're not...talkin' about that place behind Port Island Station, are you...?"

"Oh, you're familiar with it?"

He shook his head, "You can't go there! I've heard some nasty rumors about that place!"

"Is that so? Well then, we should all go together," Yukari suggested, turning to the other two to get their input, "You both will come, right?"

Minako nodded, "Of course! Safety in numbers, right? Besides, I think Junpei-kun might be exaggerating a bit about that place."

Shrugging, Minato conceded to the two adventurous females, "I suppose I don't really mind going."

"Great! Thanks, Nako-chan! And I'll take that as a yes, Minato-kun," Yukari said happily.

Another sigh came from Junpei, "Forget it, you guys... That place is bad news. I mean, don't you think we're getting in over our heads here?"

"Up until now, all we've done is take orders. Does that feel right to you?"

Junpei averted his gaze as he pulled down his cap a bit, "I know what you mean, but... Man, did you have to say it like that?" A final sigh came from his lips as he begrudgingly nodded, "I guess I don't have a choice, do I? Count me in...I guess."

"Okay, we'll go tomorrow night, then," Yukari said, receiving nods from the other members as confirmation.

Both Yukari and Junpei were the first to leave the lounge, one going to study and the other to the arcade, respectively. Minato stayed sitting with his hands in his pockets, staying silent for a few moments before speaking out, "Do you think Junpei was exaggerating? I...get a bad feeling when I think about that place."

"Really?" Minako turned to meet his blue hues, "Well, I do feel a bit uneasy, but..." She fiddled with her phone charm as she thought of a way to answer, "I don't think it's as bad as Junpei pictures it as. Even if something bad were to happen there, I'm sure...I'm sure it'll be alright, especially if we stick together!"

Smirking, Minato stood up as he nodded, "Optimistic as always, hm? Hopefully your intuition is right then. Mine...is telling me differently, but it's not like I haven't ever been proven wrong though. Make sure you're well prepared for tomorrow night then," He said his final words as he waved to her while walking toward the stairs.

Crimson eyes stayed on his back before he finally disappeared at the top of the stairs. Stretching a bit on the couch, she tilted her head as she looked down at the phone charm, fiddling with it with her thumb, "I'm sure it'll be alright. No matter...what happens, everything will turn out alright." Minako narrowed her eyes as she had the fuzzy image and feeling of something painful in that place, but it was quickly followed by relief.

"...I'm sure of it."

* * *

**「****06/06/09****」 – ****Saturday**

They all stood by the front doors while they got ready to leave the student dorm. Yukari was making sure she had everything on her before she turned to the others, "Alright, let's get going."

"What's your hurry?" Junpei complained, "I still think this is a bad idea. How could you be afraid of ghosts, but not be scared of this...?"

The brunette shook her head, "It's easy to get freaked out by something you can't see, don'tcha think?"

The cap-wearing student swallowed nervously, "Actually, I'm worried about things I CAN see...like bats and knives!"

Yukari sighed, "Big deal, so it's a little 'dangerous.' Come on, it'll be an adventure!" She said optimistically as she opened the doors and walked out. Minato followed.

Minako turned around and smiled at the cap-wearing male, "You'll protect us though, right?"

He widened his eyes, "H-Huh? Hey, you know it! Leave it to me! C'mon, let's go!"

The auburn-haired girl giggled at her friend's energy before turning and leaving.

"...This is still more like a suicide mission though," Junpei grumbled, frowning as he walked after them.

* * *

Threatening, piercing eyes immediately found the group of four as soon as they entered the back alley of the Tatsumi Port Island Station. One of the punks hanging out there raised a brow at them, "...The hell?"

One of his buddies elbowed him and nodded toward them, "Check out those rags... They're from Gekkou High."

Junpei was already in a sweat as he stood by the blue-haired student, "Oh man, this is worse than I thought..."

Nevertheless, the four of them approached the two punks that continued to stare at them. When they got close enough, one of the punks stepped forward, "Hey, you, I think you're in the wrong place."

Junpei immediately started stuttering, "U-Uh... Well, I..."

The punk's eyes narrowed as he growled, "You don't belong here... Get it? Beat it, Goatee."

"G-Goatee? Oh, y-you mean me..." He was clearly struggling.

Yukari stepped forward, "We don't need your permission to be here."

The cap-wearing student stepped closer to the brunette, mumbling to her, "H-Hey! Are you nuts!? Take a look around you!"

She turned to Junpei with an irritated look, "I'm not blind, ya know. Come on, don't be intimidated by these scum!"

"What was that?" The punk from before stepped closer to them with an already pissed off expression.

One of the tough looking chicks that were close by spoke out, "She just called us 'scum.'"

Her friend added, "Let's get 'em. Who cares where they're from!?"

The touch chick continued, "We'll post some pictures that will make her daddy cry! She'll wish she was never born!"

Immediately, the group of females started laughing, "Hahahahaha! Oh, that's so clever!"

Yukari grimaced at the sound of their laughter, "These guys are the worst..."

The blue-haired boy just frowned as he looked around them, seeing that they were certainly outnumbered if it came down to a brawl. Still, he showed no signs of panic, as he didn't want to fight, especially in a place like that. Minako stepped forward beside Yukari though, showing a strong face with her friend as she didn't want them to be bullied around, meeting any gaze with her own.

"You oughta learn to shut that trap of yours," the punk said, shifting his gaze from Yukari to Junpei, "Man, I feel sorry for you, Goatee. This bitch is a pain in the ass...huh!" Out of nowhere, he suddenly punched Junpei in the stomach.

"Urgh!" Junpei fell to one knee as a hand quickly covered where the punk had punched him.

Yukari widened her eyes, "Junpei...!"

Minato narrowed his eyes as two more punks were approaching from behind. He had his back to Junpei as he stared them down, unsure of how to handle the situation. Even if they were able to fight them off, the school would have none of it. These punks would most likely go unpunished, and they would be suspended, or even expelled, for fighting. Especially in their uniforms.

The auburn-haired girl already crouched down to make sure Junpei was alright before standing back up, glaring at the punk that had struck him. Before she could even get a word out though, another person approached from behind the punk. This one they recognized from the other day though.

"That's enough," he said in a familiar voice. His steel-colored eyes stayed the punk as he turned around to face him. "They didn't know what they were getting into. I'll make sure they leave. Alright?"

Spitting on the ground, the punk approached him rapidly, "Who do you think you are, dumbass? You want some too!?" He punched at the beanie-wearing male.

The punk's fist was easily dodged, and the guy from the other day quickly head-butted the punk, knocking him backwards. He still didn't have much of an expression on his face as he looked down at the punk. Scrambling to his feet, the punk growled, "Shit... You just crossed the line! You think you're going home alive!?"

He stood there with his hands in his peacoat, showing little enthusiasm as he spoke in a deep voice, "...Wanna give it a try?"

Clenching his teeth, the punk backed off a bit, "Uh... S-Screw this..."

The girls around them laughed at him, "Hahahahaha! What a loser!"

"Damn you, Shinjiro..." The punk, and his friends, started backing off completely, "That's right...you're from Gekkou High too, aren't ya!? You better grow eyes in the back of your head!" With that, they finally turned on their heels and ran off, and the girls walked off laughing.

Junpei had finally recovered as he stood up, but he immediately moved over to Shinjiro with admiration in his eyes, "Oh man, Senpai, that was awesome!"

Raising a brow, it took a moment before Shinjiro recognized them, "Hey, I remember you... You clowns were in Aki's room at the hospital. You idiots! Get outta here. This place isn't for you." He gave each of them a look before starting to walk away.

Yukari stepped past Junpei as she stopped him, "Wait! We came here for a reason!"

Shinjiro sighed as he turned around and walked over to them, "Did Aki tell you to come here?"

Minako glanced at the blue-haired male before moving forward as well, shaking her head, "No, he didn't."

"Hmph..." The beanie-wearing male frowned as he gave in, "What do you wanna know? About that ghost story?"

As they started talking, Minato was still a few feet behind the group as his eyes were settled on the tall male. There was something about him that invoked those same feelings of danger and worry. And yet, he almost felt as if he knew Shinjiro was harmless. It was frustrating to not be able to picture it clearly, especially when it was just another mysterious layer on top of everything else that has happened, such as those irritatingly familiar voices.

"Minato-kun?"

He snapped out of it as he looked up to see those crimson hues looking back at him. Swallowing, Minato tried to ignore those unsettling thoughts for now as he joined the rest of the group, "...Sorry."

Yukari watched as the blue-haired student rejoined the group before looking up at Shinjiro, "How'd you know we were looking into the ghost story? It's only a rumor though. Those girls who wound up in the hospital were here talkin' shit every night...about all the things they'd done to some girl named Fuuka."

"Fuuka...?" Junpei repeated that name before widening his eyes, "You mean Fuuka Yamagishi, from 2-E? They were picking on her?"

Shinjiro nodded, "That's why people are saying it's Fuuka's spirit that did it."

"Fuuka's spirit...? Wait," Yukari looked a bit flustered, "What do you mean by that!?"

The beanie-wearing male raised a brow, "You guys don't know? This Fuuka girl might be dead. She hasn't been home in over a week."

"Are...Are you serious!? I thought she was just sick..." Junpei shook his head in disbelief, "But, she's missing!?"

Yukari sighed, "So much for the ghost story... Mr. Ekoda is the homeroom teacher for 2-E, right? Does he know about this?"

There was a moment of silence before Shinjiro smirked, "I get it, Aki... Still trying to make up for the past. It's you who can't let go..." His comments were only met with confusing looks. "Nothing... That's all I know, though. Satisfied?"

Minako smiled as she nodded, "Thank you very much, Shinjiro-senpai.

"...I didn't do nothing," Shinjiro said.

All of them gave bows to show their appreciation, and Yukari thanked him once again afterwards, "Um, thank you very much. You even gave us a hint... You're very kind."

"Huh?"

The brunette shook her head, "It's...nevermind."

"Tch..." Shinjiro started walking away again after giving them another warning, "Don't come here again."

Once it was just the four of them again, Junpei let out a sigh of relief, "Oh man, thank God Shinjiro-senpai was around. I don't even want to think about how it would've turned out if he hadn't been."

Yukari turned to him and smiled, "Hey, as much as I'd hate to say it, you've toughened up since we've gone to Tartarus, right? A punch or two shouldn't hurt too much."

"Shouldn't hurt too much!? Why don't you take the hits next time!?"

"Sorry~ A guy should do his job and protect us girls," Yukari said rather cheekily before walking off.

Junpei muttered as he walked after her, "A girl that's a pain in the ass..."

Minato was still standing there as the others left, and he was still pondering over what he had felt when he had seen Shinjiro in that area. It took him a while before realizing that a hand was waving in front of his face. He brushed it aside and looked down into those crimson eyes, "What is it?"

"Are you sure you're alright, Minato-kun?" She said with a concerned expression.

Contemplating it for a moment, he shook his head, "...It's nothing. Don't worry about it. I was just...thinking over that bad feeling I had about this place. It still hasn't been alleviated, but it could just be me being on edge here."

Smiling, Minako reached up and tugged on the MP3 player around his neck, dragging him toward the others, "That just means you need to sleep more, Minato-kun! You're not playing that Innocent Sin Online game during the night, are you?"

He broke away from her grasp and walked beside her normally, "No, I'm not. And..." He sighed her suggestion, "If only more sleep could just easily solve problems like that..."

* * *

**「****06/07/09****」 – ****Sunday**

Minako was tapping her notebook with her pencil as she had her earphones on, listening to music. Nothing much had happened that day, although she and the blue-haired boy had met another individual at the shrine. He seemed to be a sickly fellow, but it was fun nonetheless, being able to spend time talking with him and bringing a smile to his face. It was after dinner now, and she knew she had to squeeze in at least a bit of schoolwork. She happily hummed the song to herself as she slowly made progress on homework and studying.

"_You're taking things a bit too lightly, aren't you?"_

She dropped her pencil and yanked out her earphones, blinking rapidly at that voice. _It's...back? This female voice..._ Swallowing, she waited for a few moments, but no other voices appeared. Letting out a sigh of relief, she moved to put her earphones back on.

"_Will you be a burden again?"_

Minako scooted her chair back and stood up, backing away from her desk. She couldn't explain it, but that female voice frightened her. In comparison to the previous voice, which had been more familiar and had just the slightest bit of warmth, this one seemed...different. Yet the same? Raising a hand to her chest, she turned off her MP3 player as she felt pressure beginning to pile up around her.

Voices.

_savealonepridefuukaaloneheraloneburdendieshealonew ill_

She clapped her hands over her ears, but it didn't stop the rambling of words. It also wasn't in the same female voice as the previous sentences. These seemed more like...tidbits of distorted voices.

"_You can save her, can't you?"_

Save her? Minako tried to think through the headache she was beginning to have, and she came to the conclusion of the only person needing help at the time. _Fuuka? But...I don't even know where she is..._

"_Don't you? Or are you waiting for **him**__to do it for you?"_

"S-Stop..." Minako clenched her teeth as she leaned back against the wall, trying to endure those voices. She wanted to leave the room and consult the only other person she could at this point, especially when it dealt with these kinds of problems, but something prevented her from functioning as a whole. Her body and mind were beginning to act on their own. She felt herself being drawn within her own mind, and no matter what she tried, she couldn't stop the inevitability of losing her senses.

"_Useless..."_

_What?_

"_I'm not asking if you can save Fuuka."_

_Then...who...?_

"_Useless..."_

_Who...Who are you asking me to save? Who – _

"_Useless..."_

_Who are you!?_

"_**Useless** girl..."_

_Stop!_

* * *

Darkness. Blinking slowly, Minako raised a hand over her eyes, testing her vision, finding the sliver of light coming from the windows helping, before she rubbed her temples. There was a soft ringing in her eyes, but it soon dissipated as she sat up. Groaning, she recalled having those cursed voices speaking to her again, but anything after that was void of memories. Her hand touched the floor, and she immediately widened her eyes. This wasn't the floor of her room, or even her dorm. It was a cold, hard, and smooth floor.

_The...gym?_

Standing up slowly, she looked around to see no one else around her. _Had I...come here on my own?_ Moving to take a step, her foot hit something and it made a soft clattering sound. Blinking, she reached down to grab at it. Finding its familiar form and shape, she lifted her naginata, the weapon she only brought out when hunting Shadows.

"What's...going on – "

Before she could even finish her thought, the building began to shake as what light that had gotten into the gym turned green. This was all too familiar for her. Despite trying to steady herself, she dropped her weapon as she fell to the floor, the walls and floor changing around her. She didn't get to see the conclusion of the transformation as she blacked out.

* * *

Waking up in a sweat, Minako sat up in a corridor. On instinct, her hand searched around her and found her weapon. Moving to stand up, she quickly fell on her behind again as her body wasn't used to the pressure that particular floor was giving off. _How high...am I?_ She knew that the higher they had gone in Tartarus, the harder it was on their bodies, which is what made it important for them to train so they got used to it. With how she felt like, she assumed she was on a floor beyond what they've reached so far.

Trying one more time, she successfully climbed to her feet, although she was still struggling a bit. It didn't help that she was still disoriented from having lost consciousness twice, one after the other. Taking deep breaths, she tried getting used to the atmosphere as she took another look around. The eerie glow from the walls and floor was still disturbing to her, especially with a design she hadn't seen them have before. Although she wanted to panic, as everything had hit her at once, she tried to stay calm, and she placed faith in the other members of SEES. Picking a direction, she started walking down the corridor, making sure to keep her guard up, especially if the Shadows were even stronger here.

She reassured herself, "It'll be alright." Her hand moved down to make sure her evoker had been brought with her.

"I'm...sure of it."

* * *

.::|| Can't believe it's been this long... Blah. I haven't been able to find the motivation or energy to start writing again. Recently though, I've purchased Persona 4 Golden, so that has reenergized me. This also lines up with the ideas I've just been testing the waters with in my free time, even though I hadn't put anything down on paper. I'll see how it turns out when I expand on it. Also, I've decided to toss in the dates when the day changes, as I feel like it's somewhat confusing at times when days pass. I probably won't put a date at the beginning of the chapter though, as it will generally continue off directly in the same day or the next day from the previous chapter. One final note is that the ending of this chapter was a bit...rushed. I was considering whether or not to continue adding to it, but I didn't want to make the chapter too long. Really didn't get to check for spelling or grammar errors, so I apologize if they're present. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. As always, I look forward to your feedback. Hopefully I can put some time aside to write the next one sooner.


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